Sweetest in the Gale
by Deathly-Hunger-Jackson
Summary: Living up to people's expectations can be difficult. Living up to your own can be twice as bad. Finally a sixth year, Mia Johnson has a full year without worrying too much about exams. The only thing she has to worry about is ignoring her brother, and his best friends, James Potter, and Fred Weasley. However, that proves to be somewhat difficult as she'll soon learn.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! I just want to start by saying: this is a rewrite of an old story of mine... which I never got around to writing the sequel for, because I reread it, and ****_hated _****it so much! So, for my sweet awesome followers, and whoever reads this, I hope you enjoy it!**

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**Introduction**

I want to say one thing: I did _not_ lose my scarf. It was stolen from me, and I know damn well who the thieves are. I grumble to myself as I head down the hall, purposely stomping my feet on the cold wooden floor, and I stop in front of my brothers bedroom, scowling. It's way too early for this to be happening to me.

I raise my hand to knock loudly on the door, and then, feeling angry, I open the door and storm in. One idiot is lying on the bed, his back arched and his head lying over the side of the bed. His hair falls down, a black mess, and his glasses are perched more on his forehead than the crook of his nose. He smiles deviously when he sees me, and rolls off of the bed, standing upright.

The other idiot is sitting on the office chair and is swirling around, bored. He stops when he sees me, and grins.

"Where is it?" I ask, not even the slightest bit amused.

"Where's what?" Alex asks me innocently. I have the biggest misfortune of being related to him. He's so insufferable- like his friend, James Potter. Sadly, Alex invited James over to stay with us for the last few weeks of summer, and the worst part is, is that James agreed to come and stay. I can safely say that these last few weeks have been torturous.

I mean, I love my brother, but I have very little patience for him.

"Don't play dumb," I say, "or is that too hard for you?" I cross my arms over my chest, feeling more than a little pissed off.

"No need to be rude," James says with a smirk. He chuckles. "Have you checked the toilet recently?"

My eyes grow wide. "You didn't!" I exclaim, horrified.

"Jeez, Mia, we're not that cruel," Alex says, rolling his eyes. He hops off the chair and opens the top drawer of his dresser. He pulls out the scarf which is covered in mud, and looks to be drenched. He holds it out for me to take, and reluctantly, with the tips of my fingers, I take back my blue and silver striped scarf.

I hold the scarf away from my body and look disgustingly at it. The boys laugh at my expression, so I glare at them. "What did you two do to it?"

"We were playing a little bit of one-on-one quidditch last night," James tells me with a shrug. "He wore his Gryffindor scarf and I wore your Ravenclaw one. I feel a little dirty after it- like I'm betraying my house or something."

"Then here's a tip: don't take my scarf next time! And finish packing your trunks," I say, pointing to the mess of opened trunks and scattered clothes around them. "We're leaving in an hour."

With a roll of my eyes, I walk back to my room, feeling more than annoyed. They just had to use my scarf, didn't they? I could strangle them both for dirtying my scarf after I washed it the other day. The sooner we get to Hogwarts, the better. At least I won't be surrounded by the dweebs as much. Sometimes I could tolerate them, though. Even if it was only rarely.

I sigh and lock my door behind me.

Why can't Alex be as organised as I am? I've packed, unpacked and repacked days ago. He's too laid back about things, and quite honestly, that worries me sometimes. After all, he is doing his NEWTs at the end of this year. How isn't he worried? Mine are next year and I already feel panicked about them.

I look at my scarf with pursed lips a final time, and then open my trunk and throw the scarf on top of my books. Mostly in my trunk is loose pages with poems on them. It's the one thing I love the most; poetry. It calms me when I feel angry, and how can you not love poetry? There's a poem for everyone out there. I have to say, I personally love muggle poems the most. My all time favourite poem is by muggle, Robert Frost, 'The Road Not Taken'.

Under my books and loose pages is my clothes and uniform for the year. Not that I plan to use my ordinary clothes much throughout the year. I've decided I'm going to take trips to Hogsmeade as an advantage for studying alone in the common room, or the library.

Honestly, I'm aware of the fact that I can be a _bore_ but I'm not all bad, despite what Alex and James may think of me. I have friends, I do like to have fun, and I definitely love quidditch. I just want to do well for myself. Plus, there's nothing wrong with wanting to study. Unlike Alex, I enjoy spending my time reading and learning things.

I sigh when I realise how boring I even sound to myself sometimes.

With one final check over, I close my trunk and heave it up from the ground.

Naturally, Alex and James held us up as mum and I were ready to leave. I suggested to let them walk, but mum said no, much to my dismay. I doubt they'd be missed all that much.

I roll my eyes because even I know that's not true. Everyone seems to love them, for some reason, along with their other friend, James's cousin, Fred Weasley II. The three of them were the most popular, and the three that always seemed to be in trouble for some prank they've pulled.

My friends seem to like them too.

The two boys come running out of the house, locking the door behind them, their brooms held in one hand and their trunks in the other. Lucky for me, I got shotgun in our old Ford car. Alex held under his arm a cage holding our pet owl, Hootin. The barn owl squawked noisily, clearly not enjoying the fact that he's stuck in a cage.

The journey to Kings Cross took just under an hour. Lucky for us, traffic didn't seem to be too heavy today in London. I'm suddenly grateful that we're going to be in the train for most of the day seeing as the clouds overhead look stormy. Only a minute later the first drops begin to fall.

Platform 9 and 3/4 was full of shouting and people saying farewells to one another. I was just anxious to get on the train already. People carried their pets onto the train with them, their trunks in their other hand. People shoved past one another trying to board the already crowded looking train.

I turn to my mother, who's planting a kiss on James's forehead despite the fact that he's much taller than her. He smiles down at her with red tinged cheeks, and thanks her for allowing him to spend the summer at our house. She pats his cheek lovingly. She turns to Alex with a stern expression on her face. "If I get a single letter home this year, I swear I will write to professor Calverny and tell him he's to band you from playing quidditch for the entire year! Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, mum," he grumbles, pouting slightly.

"Okay. I'll see you at Christmas, okay?" She pulls him in for a hug, and squeezes his shoulders. Despite being small, my mother is quite strong. Alex himself is tall, with sandy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. When she pulls away, her eyes were wet with tears. "Be good," she warns him a final time. She plants a kiss on his cheek and turns to me.

"Make sure your brother doesn't do anything stupid this year, all right?" she says. I smile at her.

"This is Alex we're talking about, mum. He's beyond help," I reply.

She tries to look cross, but fails. "Don't be mean," she tells me with a light tone that suggests to me she's not as angry as she's trying to look. "Have a good year," she adds on, "and try to not let Alex get to you this year."

I sigh, knowing that Alex personally seeks me out to taunt me about endless things. He even followed me around the school for an entire day quoting William McGonagall, one of the worst poets ever to exist. Next year, though, I will be free from the pain that is my brother.

I give her a forced smile. "I'll try," I lie. She gives me a bone-crushing hug, and with a final goodbye, I turn away from her.

The Hogwarts Express looms over me, the scarlet steam-engine train huffing out puffs of smoke from its chimney. I walk on, the train already over-packed with students standing in the narrow halls greeting friends. I force my way through the crowd, wanting nothing more than to find an empty compartment, or perhaps to just find my friends.

My trunk knocks against countless legs as I make my way down the hallway. I find a compartment with a familiar face, but I hesitate outside of it. Inside sits Fred Weasley. He's looking outside the window, sitting alone in the compartment. I'm about to turn away, feeling somewhat embarrassed, when he turns and spots me.

He stands up with a smile on his face and opens the door to greet me. "Hey, Mia! Where's James and Fred?" he asks me.

"I'm not sure. They already came onto the train," I tell him. People roughly push past me, and I stagger a little to the side. Hogwarts should really invest in making the train hallways broader. "Have you seen Eleanor?"

"No, sorry," he apologizes. "Why don't you wait here?"

I look around, surprised that he'd even suggest it. Firstly, he's popular; secondly, I had the biggest crush on him when I was in third year, which he knows full well about. Oh, Merlin, it's so embarrassing to even think about. One of the boys, Carter, had heard me talking to Dany, one of my other friends, and instantly began to tell everyone about it. I'm not sure who I feel more mortified for: him, or me.

He wouldn't even look at me the whole year, and Alex and James made it their jobs to taunt me about it whenever they got the opportunity. Of course, by the end of the year everyone got over it and things resumed as normal... Alex and James taunting me about being boring.

So, naturally, I'm a little surprised that he doesn't mind even being seen with me.

I place my trunk on the slot above my head, feeling a little unsure of myself.

"How was your summer?" he asks.

"Boring, and a little torturous," I admit.

"Oh, yeah, James spent the last few weeks of summer with you," he remembers with a grin. He leans back into the chair, getting comfortable, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was supposed to stay, but... something came up." He averts his gaze momentarily, obviously bothered by something. I'm about to ask what's wrong, but then the compartment door opens.

I jump a little in surprise. When I see who it is, I frown.

"Man, we've been looking for you," James says, falling lazily onto the seat beside me. "You missed out on a wicked summer."

Alex sits next to Fred, and looks to me with a frown also on his face. "Sorry you got stuck with the nerd."

I blush, and look outside as the train pushes forward from the station. I see mum a final time and wave to her, with a false smile upon my face. I feel suddenly awkward being in the compartment, and want nothing more than to leave.

I edge a little bit forward on my seat. "I should go," I mumble. "Thanks for letting me sit here." I give a small smile to Fred, who cocks his head to the side in confusion.

"You don't have to go," Fred assures me.

Alex looks to Fred in surprise at the same time I do. James just arches a brow up, staring at Fred in bewilderment.

Of course, I had to humiliate myself by quoting a poem. "_Sweet moment, stay with me, and pray do not flee so soon. _I- I should probably go look for Eleanor." My face feels hot from embarrassment. Alex is shaking his head, probably wondering how he got a sister who's so nerdy. James is now staring at me with the arched eyebrow, and Fred still has his head slightly tilted, but with a soft smile on his lips.

The door slides open, and all of us look up at once.

"About time I found you," Eleanor says hotly. "You could have at least told me you were going to be sitting with these dorks instead."

"Oi, that's offensive," Alex says, scowling at her.

She just returns his look with a cold stare. Although I may have said my friends seemed to like Alex, Fred and James, Eleanor, like me, has little-to-no patience for them, which is why I get along with her so well. With a sigh, she sits down next to Alex. "You are never going to believe who's one of the Ravenclaw prefects!"

"Who?" I ask, feeling somewhat jealous because I had wanted to become a prefect.

"Carter." We both groan at the same time, both hating him still for what he did to me in third year. Plus, he hates me as much as I hate him, so no doubt he's going to try and get me in trouble for something stupid.

"At least we know who to avoid this year," James says gleefully.

"Speak of the devil," I hear Fred mumble.

We all look up as the door opens again. At the door is Carter, and behind him is my friend of sorts, Luce. His blonde hair falls in waves, and his brown eyes look at me mischievously. He knows I wanted to be prefect. Merlin, I hate him. Why did Calverny pick him, of all people, to be prefect? He's so pretentious!

"Hey, Mia," he greets me with a cold, smug stare. "I'm not sure if you heard, but I'm the new prefect for Ravenclaw. Just thought I'd warn you."

I roll my eyes. "Already heard, and I already don't care," I reply sharply.

"Just thought I'd warn you three, too. I'm going to tolerate any misbehavior or your stupid pranks."

Alex, Fred and James all huff. "They are not stupid," Alex rebukes, narrowing his eyes at Carter.

He sighs. "We both know that's not true. Anyway, I have important _prefect_ duties to attend to." He gives me a mocking smile, and then turns and leaves. Luce gives me an apologetic smile. My blood is boiling after he's gone. I sit with my hands clenched tightly into fists, hating Carter more and more with each passing second.

"Anyone else want to punch him in the face?" James asks after a moments silence.

"Just a little," Fred replies.

"I think we just found a new target," Alex announces.

And for once, I'm not even going to bother telling Alex to not prank someone. The stupid git, Carter, deserves it. I sit back into my chair, and relax myself. I guess I'm not going anywhere for the train ride as even Eleanor already looks comfortable.

This is going to be a very long year.

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**I'm seriously the worst with intros... Blaarrghhh. Forgive me, please? :L Please review what you think! Only updating once a week due to exams coming up! I don't have much time to write, but I enjoy writing way too much.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reveiws/follows! Means a lot to me. **

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**Chapter 1**

I honestly did not expect the train ride to feel as though it was lasting a lifetime. Sadly, it did.

What could be wrong with sitting with the most 'popular' boys in Hogwarts, you ask? Just about _everything!_ All Alex and James did through the whole ride was talk about the hot girl who lives next door to us, and something about James being lucky because he got to snog her. I had to roll my eyes at that one, because who hasn't James tried to snog? He's an absolute twat. He's a flirt, he's cocky, and probably just about the biggest idiot going.

Fred didn't talk much, and I tried not to look at him much too. I'm still not over the fact that he knows I used to have a crush on him. Plus, boys are just complete morons (example A: Alex; Example B: James). Honestly, though, it's hard not to notice Fred. Trust me, I'm not one of those petty girls who 'accidentally' drops their books in front of their crushes, or say, stare at them like some desperate damsels. Like, _please_, I have some class.

I've read so many muggle love stories about girls who sound so desperate I internally cringe for them.

Fred has dark brown tousled hair, with dark tanned skin and chocolate brown eyes. He is tall, for seventeen, and quite honestly, he is attractive. I mean, he's not perfect- I've seen him after he just woke up from times he's stayed at my house with Alex, and he doesn't have a six-pack, which, for some reason, most romance novels say their crush has. And he most definitely does not sparkle when he goes into the light. Like, honestly, this is real life. Plus, he's actually _nice, _which is odd considering who his mates are.

Still, though, boys are idiots. Especially when you have to live with one against your will.

Finally, the train comes to a stop.

The air is cold as we exit the train, and I rub my palms together for heat. My breath swirls in smoke before me, and it catches when I catch sight of the castle. The light from the castle looks like tiny stars in the night sky from here, and everything about it is simply magnificent. I momentarily forget that I've seen this castle over a hundred times already, it's truly that breath taking.

"She walks in beauty, like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies," I whisper under my breath, staring up at the castle for a second longer before dragging my gaze away from it's magical beauty.

"Mia, you coming?" Eleanor calls to me, meters ahead of me waiting to get onto one of the carriages.

I break out of my trance and join Eleanor in the carriage.

When I enter, I'm tackled with a hug. I hear a familiar laugh and grin from ear to ear. "Dany!" I exclaim happily, returning the hug to my friend.

"You know, you could have made the effort to write," she scolds me, pulling out of the hug.

She brushes a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, and stares at me expectantly with her hazel coloured eyes. I just give her a puzzled look. "I did write," I tell her. "I thought you were ignoring me..." I trail off and scowl. "Idiots!" I say so suddenly, that Eleanor jumps. "The idiots have been hijacking all my mail. I know it!" My eyes grow wide as a cold sweat breaks out through me. "There was seriously personal stuff in those letters! Oh, Merlin's pants, kill me!"

"What kind of stuff?" Eleanor asks cautiously.

My hands are shaking out of fury, and my cheeks are hot from embarrassment. "Well, in one of the letters it was.. you know.. my time of the month, and I was complaining about it and, oh, Merlin, Alex and James are going to torture me all year with this! I knew they were too quiet this summer." I shake my head, and glance worriedly out the window.

There was other stuff too, that I'd rather not think about right now.

I had even said I thought James didn't look too bad this year- if they read all that, James is probably plotting to use that against me for the rest of my life! Not that I'm attracted to James in any way- he's a moron who I can barely stand to be around. Plus, he's almost like a brother I never wanted.

I'm internally punching myself in the face.

"Don't think too much about it, Mia," Dany says softly. "Maybe Hootin got confused."

"I can only hope," I mumble, my cheeks still hot.

The carriage comes to a stop and we all get off. Drops of rain slowly begin to fall from the sky, and I'm thankful that Hogwarts is always so warm inside. I look around for Alex and James as we enter into the hall. I frown when I don't see them and shake my head. Maybe they didn't actually take my mail-

"Hey, Alex, I have a question," James's voice echoes towards me. I wheel around, feeling my whole body drain of colour as I see his cocky smirk. Alex looks at him with a grin. "Do you think I look better this year? I heard somewhere that I was."

James winks at me and I feel disgust inside of me. I purse my lips, and narrow my eyes at him.

"I'm not too sure, James," Alex replies. "Why don't we ask Mia?"

"Why don't you take both your wands and shove it up your arses?" I retaliate coldly. James tries to look hurt, but fails miserably. Before he can say anything else, I storm away, feeling infuriated. Firstly, how dare they look through my personal stuff? Secondly, they are stupid morons! Merlin, we're not even at Hogwarts five minutes and already I dread the rest of this year.

So much for escaping them here.

No. Once classes start, I'll hardly see them. So long as they don't start rumors, that is. I only have to deal with the two dweebs for one more year. I have a feeling I'm going to be saying that to myself a _lot_ this year. At least that thought will brighten my mood, right?

I let out a long sigh as I sit myself in between Eleanor and some third year boy.

I'd like to say I listened to everything professor Calverny had to say this year, but honestly, I didn't. I'm humiliated now. Alex and James have so much against me, which isn't fair at all. They give me a hard time as it is, and now that's going to be multiplied by a thousand! How the hell am I going to survive this year now?

Much to my surprise, everyone begins to stand up.

I was so distracted that I didn't even realise assembly is over.

"Hey, El," I say as we walk towards the entrance. "Where's Dany?"

Dany is in Gryffindor, and usually sits with a girl named Jessica at the Gryffindor table.

"Behind you," Dany announces.

The three of us exit the hall together, and linger in the entrance hall as the crowd emerges from the Great Hall. When James passes he winks at me, which causes me to scowl- stupid twat. Then, when Fred passes behind them he gives me a small smile. I stare after him for a few seconds, feeling confused. Not that Fred ever blanked me out before, besides in third year, but he never usually makes much of an effort for anyone.

I just sigh and let the crowd pass me.

I look out from the corner of my eye and see Carter keeping watch over us. I turn my head and glare at him. He doesn't look away, which unnerves me. He puffs out his chest to show off his prefect badge more, which makes me look away. I don't want him to know for once I'm actually jealous of him. He's a bigger twat than Alex and James are.

"Guys, maybe we should go to bed," I say quietly.

Dany and El look at me in shock. "Why?"

"Carter is watching us," I warn them under my breath.

Dany frowns. "Hey, we have a tradition to keep up with. Carter isn't going to stop us," she replies determinedly.

I just look between Dany and Eleanor a second longer, before letting out a long breath. Dany's right.

Every year, on the first night back, Dany, Eleanor and I venture around the castle, trying to uncover new places each year. We haven't discovered lots, but I enjoyed the trill of breaking curfew, and avoiding the prefects that roamed the hall night. The biggest challenge is avoiding Peeves, because if he caught you, you were screwed beyond belief.

So far, we haven't been caught.

I think El and I began to do it to prove to Dany that not all Ravenclaw's abide to the rules, and that we're just as brave as she claims to be. Which is probably not true.

I wasn't even considered for Gryffindor in first year- my choice was between Slytherin and Ravenclaw, and naturally, I begged not to be in Slytherin. Not that they're bad anymore, but a bad name is hard to get rid of. Plus, that would mean being like my father, which I didn't want. My father died back when I was about nine years old. I'm not entirely sure what happened that night, but I refused to think about it.

"Fine," I finally say. "Let's go."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ...

The halls are mostly quiet, besides the sounds of moving staircases, and the odd echo of footsteps. The fires cast long shadows which are quite eerie as we walk down a long, empty hall. We take caution at each turn, afraid at any moment we'll be caught.

That's when we hear a cackle, which gives me goosebumps.

_Peeves_.

He's somewhere up ahead, and sounds to be getting closer. I look to Eleanor and Dany in alarm.

Dany pushes me towards a door, and I open it wide, as we push ourselves inside to escape Peeves.

"Lumos," I whisper.

A pale face appears at the tip of my wand, which I drop in fright, and before I can scream, a hand is placed over my mouth. Another light appears, and I squint my eyes, trying to see who is casting it.

"Calm down, Mia. It's just us," the caster says.

He lowers his wand and I frown when I see Alex. The hand drops from my mouth and I turn to see James standing there. I pick up my wand and recast the light. Sitting on a desk is Fred. Eleanor and Dany look as startled as I do, much to my relief.

"Tsk, tsk. Shouldn't you girls be in bed?" James asks, as we settle onto chairs and desks around the room.

"Shouldn't you?" Eleanor rebukes.

"I didn't take you lot as being rule breakers," Fred says slightly impressed.

"You make it sound like we're doing something cool," Dany says. "We're just out after curfew. Not a major deal."

"For you," James reminds her. "As for these two," he continues, pointing between Eleanor and me, "I reckon this is a massive deal. Aren't you two afraid of being caught? You could get detention. Doesn't that terrify you two?" He says it in a mocking tone which boils my blood. I glare at him, and Eleanor looks coldy towards him.

"No," I snap.

"No need to get defensive," he replies.

"I'm not getting defensive," I say through gritted teeth.

"Aw, am I making you mad?"

"I swear, I'm going to take that wand and-"

Alex cuts us off. "Shut up," he says.

"Don't tell me-"

"Peeves is closer," he tells me, before I can give out to him.

We all listen in silence to Peeves, laughing about something or other. I hold my breath as he passes the door, praying that he won't come in here. I mean, why would he? How much bad luck would you have to have in order for him to come into the one classroom you happen to be in? When the sound of Peeves begins to fade, I let out a breath, thankful that I didn't have the worse luck ever.

Everyone else looks relieved too, I notice as I stare around the room.

Fred chuckles lightly. "Well, that could have ended badly."

"What _are_ you doing out after curfew?" Alex asks us, now curious.

"Just exploring," Dany explains. "We like to look around for new places in Hogwarts."

"Wouldn't it just be wicked to have a map that shows you all the places in Hogwarts?" James says with a smirk to Fred and Alex. They both laugh at this, and I narrow my eyes in suspicion. El and Dany give them confused looks.

"I think we're going to leave now," Dany says, heading towards the door.

I quickly follow her, as does Eleanor.

I realise I do have the worst luck ever, as I ended up in the same classroom with those dweebs. Like, seriously? Talk about an unlucky coincidence.

"James wrecks my head," I groan, as we make our way further down the hall.

I see Dany smirk to Eleanor, before quickly looking away and nodding her head. "We can tell," she says.

I cock an eyebrow upwards, and purse my lips. "What was that?" I ask her, narrowing my eyes at her.

She just smiles knowingly. "You two were so flirting," Eleanor says with a grin.

I stop walking, and stare at them disgusted. "You two are such idiots," I say, my face twisting in horror. "This isn't some stupid romance book. The girl doesn't always end up liking the guy she hates at the beginning. He annoys me so much. Plus, you _know_ who I like. It's not James."

Dany throws her hands up in defense. "Sorry, my mistake," she replies with a chuckle.

I frown and think of Fred for a split second- my stomach erupts into butterflies. I think of James and I feel like killing someone. He sets my nerves on edge. How can they even assume I like him? He's a dweeb- I don't like dweebs.

I just roll my eyes and smile back at them, realizing from Dany's grin that she purposely said it to irritate me. "Come on. I'd rather discover a new secret passage than talk of idiots."

The other two agreed, and we continued to search around Hogwarts, while avoiding prefects and ghosts.

It's good to be back.

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**is this interesting?**

_**Sorry for the wait, btw. I had to study -_- Exams starting on Wednesday until the 19th of June... Kill me, please? Then college in September, yay! :D Cannot wait! Anyway, please review what you think! :) **_


	3. Chapter 3

I always, always, think being back at Hogwarts is great. That is, until, the following morning when I have to be up early for breakfast. Long gone are the days of sleeping in until noon. Well, those days were long gone the moment James Potter arrived at my house three weeks prior to our return to Hogwarts. Like, honestly. That boy loved to make noise to wake me purposely.

I breathe in deeply, listening to the stirring of my roommates. Claudia, a Scottish girl, with deep green eyes, and a mess of bright red hair, lets out a long groan. Obviously, the fact that we would have to get up so early from now on hits the others too.

Something nudges me, presumably Eleanor. I bury my face deeper into my pillow, wishing her away in my mind. Really, who needs breakfast, anyway? The growl of my stomach tells me that I certainly do. Another nudge, followed by, "get up, Mia." I grumble a response which is followed by a sigh from Eleanor. "I will pour cold water over you, if I have to."

I get up quickly in response to this. She's not kidding. I, unfortunately, know this from experience. My mind reels back to two years ago when I had refused to get up one morning. Call it my rebellious teen moment, if you want. I call it my idiotic moment. Seconds later I was drenched in icy cold water, which certainly woke me. I shiver at the memory, glaring at El.

Luce, the prefect girl, pinned the badge to her shirt, which made my stomach twist in jealousy. It's hard to be bitter at someone like Luce. She's nice, and has never been mean to a single soul in her life. Yet, part of me resents her. Why didn't Calverny think I was good enough to be prefect? Why her? More importantly, why Carter? The thought of Carter officially being a Prefect unnerves me.

I shake my head as I knot my tie, not bothering with my jumper. Some things will never make sense in the world, I guess.

I try not to look too down during breakfast as flitwick begins handing out our timetables. At least getting my timetable is something to look forward to.

A piece of toast lies untouched on my plate before me. My hand supports my head up, and I gaze into empty space, wondering if maybe Carter bribed professor calverny. I mean, he is rich, coming from a pureblood family who are known to be better off. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this utter betrayal. I am, and was always, a great student. I got all O's in my O.W.L's, I never broke rules (well, I've never been caught, that is), I always did my work. I am, in my opionion, an excellent student. I deserved to be prefect as much as anyone.

Eleanor senses my anger. "You're thinking too much about it," she says to me, taking a bite into her toast. When I don't say anything, she rolls her eyes. "Mia, Luce deserved to be prefect just as much as you did. You can't continue to be angry she was chosen over you."

I try to be angry at Eleanor for her blunt words, but she's right, and she knows she is. "I just don't know why they chose Carter," I grumble.

"Look, he may be a complete ass to you, but he's a complete kiss ass to them," she reminds me.

"He's going to make our lives hell," I sigh, finally biting into my own slice of toast.

"If we can handle your brother and Potter, we can handle Carter," she says.

By now, Flitwick has reached us, handing us our new timetable. I take it with great interest, hoping for anything but Herbology on a Monday morning. I mean, herbology is grand, and professor Longbottom is one of nicest teachers in the school, but it can be such a boring class sometimes. Now, potions on a Monday morning would be amazing. It's one of my best classes. I wish I could say I'm the best in our year, but sadly, that spot belongs to Albus Potter. Professor slughorn always gushes on about how great his grandmother was at potions too, emphasizing the endless greatness of the Potters.

I know I shouldn't hate them, but every single Potter annoys me. Unlike them, the rest of us have to work hard, yet they all get the attention. It makes me feel like I'm nothing. I have this.. Obsession, you could say, with trying to be the best at everything. I don't mean to be so competitive, but I work hard in school, and I'm always out staged by the Potter's, or the Weasley family (really, at this stage they're all the same).

In the Potter family alone, you have the popular one, the smart one, and the pretty one. Plus, the latter is just a mix of all three, really. Lily, the youngest of the Potter kids, is in third year, and she's not as bad as her brother. She's smart, getting continuous O's in her classes, she's talented, making the Gryffindor quidditch team in second year, she's popular, she's pretty. She's... Honestly, everything I want to be.

At only thirteen, she's better at everything. She's noticed by people. I'm... Invisible. I try not to be sulky, but some days I wish I could be noticed by people.

Still, I have plenty going for me, so I'm not too envious. I'm smart, I'm good at quidditch, and I have great friends. What more can a girl want?

"Yes!" I exlaim, causing El to to jump beside me. "I have a double class of potions this morning," I explain, as she raises an eyebrow at me.

"I don't know why you'd want to continue doing potions," she says, glancing at her own timetable. Her first slot read Ancient Runes, causing me to pull a disgusted expression.

"I'm great at potions," I tell her. "And you can't say much. I thought you said you were dropping Ancient Runes?

She nods her head slowly. " I was, but Flitwick told me it would look good when applying to teach." She shrugs her shoulders, clearly not pleased with the idea of continuing with Ancient Runes. "Look, we have a free period this evening," he says, pointing to the empty slots on our timetables. "Want to go to the lake?" By lake, she means the willow tree by the lake that was a popular spot for most students. However, chances are we'd be able to be alone there due to classes being on.

"Of course," I reply, finishing my toast and standing up. "See you at lunch."

I depart from El, and head to the Gryffindor table in search of Dany. I find her sitting beside Rose Weasley (yes, there's a lot of them). I purse my lips when I see that she's talking to my brother and his group of friends. I mean, Rose is James' cousin, so it's not surprising, but sometimes I wish I could go at least twenty four hours without seeing them.

James is the first to notice me approaching their table. He grins- or maybe it's a smile. It's hard to know the difference sometimes. Still, he places his hand up in greeting, which gathers everyone else's attention. Alex let's out a sigh (yeah, like I'm happy to see him too), Fred smiles at me, and both Rose and Dani say, "hey."

"You coming to potions?" I ask Rose and Dani.

"Mia," Alex interrupts, exasperated. "We have half an hour before class. What's the rush for?"

I glare at him, but everyone is looking at me, waiting for an answer. My cheeks feel hot, and I can't even think of a poem to sum up my embarrassment. I'll have to research later. "I like to be early," I tell him. Also that I want the teachers to see me as enthusiastic. Perhaps Slughorn will finally notice my brilliance, even with the presence of a Potter in the room.

"We'll be there on time, don't worry, Mia," Dani assures me. "Why don't you wait here with us?"

I hesitate before I answer because, 1. James and Alex are grinning at me, and, 2. I really do like to be early to classes. I sigh, and sit down between my brother and Dani.

"Anyway, so, we've already decided our plans as far as Christmas," Alex says, obviously continuing on a conversation they were having before I had joined them. I stare at him bewildered, because it is very rare Alex makes plans for anything in advance. Maybe he's finally growing up.

James notices my confused expression. "Yes, Mia, sometimes we do make plans for things in advance," he says as though reading my mind.

"What are you planning for?" I ask, feeling more than a little curious.

"Just for what we're going to do for Christmas, and stuff," Fred replies.

"And pranks, of course!" James adds on. When he sees my disapproving look, he adds on, "We've made plans that include Carter." This lightens my mood quickly. I grin at them, feeling happy about their plans. At least this year I'm not the target.

"Also, we've decided they're coming to our house for Christmas," Alex finishes.

I choke on air, horrified by that idea. "If you're having friends over, so am I," I say quickly, knowing I'd never survive on my own with that lot. I feel awful asking my mother this favour, but I rarely ask my friends over. Hopefully she'll say yes. The more the merrier, right?

Alex just shrugs at my reply. "Bring whoever you want," he says.

"Oh, become friends with Claudia. Invite her over," James says. Dani, Rose and I glare at him. We all know why James wants us to bring her over. She's probably one of the last few girls left in the school who James hasn't snogged. I feel great knowing I'm on that list. "I'm just a guy looking for my true love," James says dramatically in response to our glares. "If I have to snog every girl to find her, so be it."

His theatrical response causes me to laugh. He's so ridiculous sometimes. "I'm not going to invite her," I tell him. "You can find out if she's your true love somewhere else, that isn't my house."

"Alex! Tell your sister she's being unreasonable," James demands.

"Actually, I'm with her on this one, man," Alex replies. "We are not going through what you did last summer again." He shivers, and I know I don't ever want to know what James did last summer. Merlin only knows what he did. "Plus, my mother still likes you. So, try not to ruin that."

James pouts, which makes him look somewhat adorable (you can actually hate a person AMD know they're attractive. Ground breaking, I know). "Whateve . I can get her any time I want," he mumbles.

"You could not," Rose says. "Claudia actually respects herself like most Ravenclaw girls do."

"I guess Luce is the exception," Fred says, nudging his cousin.

James makes a face. "That was a dare," he grumbles. "And that didn't end well." He rubs his face, and I remember joyfully the moment Luce's friends hand connected with James' face. Luce herself is too nice to slap James herself, but Caroline, her Slytherin friend, wasn't so gentle.

"You deserved that for being such a manwhore," I remind him.

He opens his mouth to say something, but instead shrugs. "I guess that's true," he admits. "It's not my fault they throw themselves at me most of the time."

"They're using you," Dani tells him.

"That's what I said," Fred agrees.

Again, James shrugs his shoulders, not phased by this remark. "I'm using them, too." He grins. "It's the circle of life. Use, and be used."

I stand up, shaking my head. "James, you really need to grow up. And be careful," I add as an afterthought. As much as James annoys me, he is close to our family. I don't want him to be truly hurt over someone.

"You do care," he says awestruck, staring up at me lovingly.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Come on. Let's go to class."

I storm away, not waiting for a reply. He's so arrogant. Of course I care about him, but he doesn't have to act all high and mighty. It irks me so much. Plus, if he's not careful he's probably going to knock some poor girl up. I bet the daily prophet would love that scandal.

"What, no exit poem for us?" he calls after me.

Today is going to be a long, long day.

* * *

**sometimes I have the urge to continue my fics.. Even if it is a year later! Haha, sorry! So much has happened in the last year- I'm eighteen soon! :D also, finished my first year in university! I miss my friends on this site so much omg ;.; anyway, please, please review! I'd love to know what you think! I feel as though my writing has .. Improved slightly since last year. I'm doing English and History, so I'd hope so! **


	4. Chapter 4

"Each year I have my students create the Drought of Living Death. The one who can brew it perfectly will be rewarded with this-" Slughorn holds up a clear vile, with some golden liquid in it. "Felix felicis," he continues on. "Or...?" He glances around the classroom, looking for the answer from one of us.

About a dozen, plus a few, stand around him in the dungeon classroom. Everyone has pushed themselves forward, moments before entranced by the love potion in one of the cauldrons before us. I had refused to go near it, while my stomach twisted with anxiety.

Now we all stare at the small glass vile in interest.

"Liquid Luck," I say, just as someone else does.

I turn my head in the direction of the other voice, not surprised to be looking at Albus Potter, who is also looking at me. I look away, instead looking to Slughorn who looks happily between the both of us- we are his best students after all.

"Excellent, Mr. Potter, and Ms Johnson," he exclaims delightfully. "The one who drinks this potion will have all the luck in the world.. Until it wears off, naturally." He glances at his pocket watch (honestly), and smiles at us all. "You may begin."

I wish I could say the potion was simple, and that I was a natural at it. That would be a complete and utter lie. I'm useless at it. The instructions in the book are obviously wrong, as nothing it says works for anyone. I glance worryingly over at Albus, who is opposite me at the table. He's scowling at his cauldron, thankfully having trouble with it too.

He looks at me, his eyes narrowed. Albus isn't like his brother; he's not arrogant, or mean (despite his houses old reputation- the first Potter ever to be named Slytherin), but you do not want to be in some sort of competition with Albus. He's competitive as hell, and unfortunately, potions has always been an unspoken competition for us.

Outside of class we get along well (mostly because we rarely talk). He has dark hair, a mix of red and brown, and a lot of freckles mask his face. His eyes are startling green, unlike his other two siblings who both have warm brown eyes.

Albus is hard to hate. He's polite, and he goes out of his ways to be kind to others.

Right now, though, he looks as though he can kill you just by looking at you hard enough. I blink, looking back to my on potion. This is not going as planned... For either of us.

Time passes by, and by the time our time is up, my eyes are watering from the fumes emerging from my cauldron. One student, Amelia Stone, had to be sent away to the hospital wing due to her potion over boiling, and burning her hands. I purse my lips looking into my own cauldron. I really don't think it's supposed to have a green hue.

While Slughorn makes his rounds, I quickly go over to Albus' cauldron, curious to see what his looks like.

"It's... grey," I note, feeling somewhat relieved. It's _not _supposed to be grey.

"I know," he grumbles. He raises himself up so that he can see into my cauldron. "I don't believe it's supposed to look green, either."

"At least mine doesn't look like troll boogies," I tease.

He grins, clearly amused by my comment. "It does look kind of like troll boogies," he admits with a laugh.

"Mia," Slughorn calls. I give Albus my best '_this is gonna be fun' _look. He just shrugs his shoulders with a smile.

When I reach my cauldron, Slughorn is looking distastefully into it. I grimace. Hey, it's not my fault the instructions in our book are completely useless, I guess. However, despite our terrible instructions, Slughorn gives me a disappointed look before he even drops the leaf into my potion. When the leaf makes contact with my potion, it explodes.

Naturally, everyone hits the floor.

The fumes in the air catch in my throat, and I begin choking for fresh air. Merlin, that went terribly wrong, that's for sure.

"Into the hallway," Slughorn advises. "I'll have this gone in a few moments."

We all crawl out of the classroom, gasping for breath.

"Jesus, Mia!" Dani exclaims. "You were supposed to make a drought of Living Death, not bloody explosives."

I give her a wry grin. "Ah, yes. Totally my plan to make my cauldron explode," I grumble, relishing the clean air. I shake my head. Okay, I did _not _think my potion would be remotely that bad. I expected it to foam up at most.

"You know what, that was kind of impressive," Albus says, as he, Rose Weasley, and Scorpius Malfoy join Dani and I. "I've never seen anyone screw up a potion _that _bad before."

"Al, don't be so rude," Rose scolds him.

"Yeah, _Al_, don't be so rude to me," I say.

"And I wouldn't be so quick to judge Mia's," Scorpius adds in. "I mean, have you seen yours? At least Mia's was close to the colour. Yours looks grey, and gunky."

"Man, I thought we were friends," Albus says. "Usually friends back each other up." He looks to Rose. "And family, too."

Rose scoffs. "Don't be such a child, Albus."

"Alright, you can all come back in," Slughorn calls from the door. As we head in, he stops me. "Not your best work, Mia," he tells me. "Next time, be a little more careful."

_Next time get a book that has better instructions_. I just nod my head, and scowl. Okay, so I guess this _is _advanced potions, and I should be more careful. But I swear that this was not my fault. I do feel somewhat disappointed, though. I don't like doing badly in anything, especially potions.

Slughorn grabs another leaf from his desk and goes over to Albus' cauldron. I can see the worry on his face, because let's be honest- Any potion that looks like troll boogies is not a decent potion. When the leaf makes contact with the potion, (if you can even call it a potion) it erupts out from the cauldron in a lumpy, grey, gross mess. Slughorn steps back, looking disgusted, and again, disappointed.

He shakes his head, before judging the rest of the potions in the room.

When he's finished, he goes to the top of the classroom. "I'm afraid not one of you has created anything remotely like the drought of living death," he announces, sadly. "For your homework assignment, I want a two foot long essay for the properties of the Drought of Living Death. You have two weeks to complete it, and also prepare yourselves for our next potion, which will be Essence of Dittany." He smiles, though it looks forced. "Class dismissed."

Relieved to leave the dungeons, I quickly head up the narrow stairs along with the rest of my classmates. Already I feel drained, and it's only been one class. I'm just glad we have lunch. Those two hours went by slowly, much to my dismay.

"So, how was the summer with my brother?" Albus asks, looking amused.

"Oh, just wonderful," I say sarcastically. "I live for your brothers company. I just can't imagine my life without him." I give him a deadpan look, and he laughs. "They stole my mail," I tell him. "I'm debating whether or not to mail my mother about it, or _your _mother."

"You could always tell Granny Weasley," he reminds me.

"Brilliant idea!" I exclaim. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

"Hey, you only tolerate me because our family have been friends for years," he jokes.

I nod my head. "That's very much true," I reply, jokingly.

The Great Hall is already full by the time we reach it. Dani complains about the crowd, which you think she'd be used to by now. Albus and Scorpius leave us to go sit with their friends at the Slytherin table, while I head with Dani and Rose to find a spot to eat. We find one at the end of the Gryffindor table. I take this time to write to my mother to ask can my friends possibly come over for the Christmas holidays. Minutes later, Eleanor joins us, looking exhausted after her Ancient Runes class.

Again, I debate whether or not to tell my mother about James and Alex stealing my letters all summer. It would be the smart thing to do, and it would be bloody hilarious to see Alex getting a howler at breakfast. That thought makes me happy. However, I did say I would try and not let them get to me this year. Just one more year and I'm done with them. James will probably be off playing professional quidditch, and Alex will be an Auror, possibly.

I can totally do this.

I decide not to tell on them, because it does seem quite childish. I'm almost of age. I'll be mature about this situation.

Still, I can't help but think of the personal things I had wrote in those. I tell Eleanor everything. Stupidly, I also write to her about everything, not thinking that two dweebs would read it.

I'm interrupted from my thoughts when someone taps me on the shoulder.

When I see who it is, I roll my eyes. "What do you want, James?" I ask.

"Can I talk to you alone for two minutes?"

I narrow my eyes suspiciously. "I'll be back in a sec," I tell the girls. Eleanor frowns, knowing that whatever James wants cannot be good.

He leads me away from the table, out of earshot. "If I ask you something, can you not laugh, or mock me in anyway at all?" he pleads.

Okay, now I'm totally worried. What could I possibly mock James Potter over? He's the one who read all my personal stuff. Slowly, I nod my head, feeling more suspicious than ever.

He rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. "You're really good at potions, aren't you?"

I'm surprised by this question. "I.. I mean, I'm fine at it. I guess I did get an O in my OWLs. ..." I find myself rambling on a little, and shake my head. "Why?"

His cheeks turn darker. "Look, I'm not doing well in potions at all. I, uh, failed the summer exams in potions," he admits, looking ashamed of himself. "And I know you're good at this stuff. Like, you're smart." He pulls a face, trying to gather the courage to ask me what he wants. "Could you maybe help me in potions? Um, tutor me, you know, or something?"

"You want me to... tutor you?"

"I'll owe you big time, Mia," he says quickly. "I'll do anything you want. I just really don't want to fail my NEWTs."

"What about Albus? He's really good at Potions, too."

"I don't want to be tutored by my _brother_," James says exasperated. "Please, Mia?"

I cross my arms, feeling an opportunity arising. James would definitely owe me big time if I help him out, and that can always come in handy. "Firstly, no more teasing me," I warn him.

"Hey, I'm only messing with you," he replies. "You can't expect me not to tease. I tease everyone."

"Okay, whatever. But if I ever need anything, you've got to do it, deal?"

"So, you'll tutor me?" he asks hopefully.

"Fine," I decide. "I'll decide on a date for tutoring when I get the time."

"Um, and Mia?" he says before I can leave him. "Can you not tell people that you're helping me? It's... kind of embarrassing to be failing a subject."

My expression softens. "Of course I won't," I promise.

"Thanks! That's why you're the best," he jokes, walking away from me.

I roll my eyes, and sit with the girls again.

"So, what did Potter want?" Eleanor asks me.

I shrug my shoulders. "He was trying to get me to set him up with Claudia, of course," I lie.

"How shocking," Rose jokes.

* * *

**I really have nothing else to do. This summer is so boring- and I have no job which makes it worse, so I have no money! D: Ugh, sorry. I hate not having a job. :/ **

**Anyway, I don't even know who I'm writing this to, because of the lack of readers I have. It's my own fault for leaving for a whole year, I guess. I don't know how anyone can handle going to Uni, and also continue writing at the same time. ? **


	5. Chapter 5

_A drop fell on the apple tree_

_Another on the roof;_

_A half a dozen kissed the eaves,_

_and made the gables laugh_

I scribble the words onto a piece of blank parchment as I wait in the library for James. It's a Wednesday afternoon, a time we both agreed on to meet up. Outside, rain falls heavily, the cool autumn days already gone, replaced by autumn showers. Despite it only being the first week back, the library is almost full. I sit at a table in between two rows of shelves, which hardly anyone seems to go to.

I look at my watch. It reads 6:09. James is already almost ten minutes late- why am I not surprised?

I'd rather be anywhere than here, to be quite honest. I shake my head and look down at the poem I had been writing. Emily Dickinson. One of my absolute favourite poets of all time. There's something wonderful, and also disturbing at times, about her poetry. Plus, her life is just as interesting as her writing, in my opinion.

"Sorry I'm late," James says, throwing his bag down and sitting beside me. "Alex was telling me something, and he doesn't know about this. Man, I never realized before, but your brother sure does talk a lot." He takes in a deep breath. He's nervous, I notice. And embarrassed. I find myself frowning at him, wondering why he feels so ashamed and embarrassed about this situation. There's nothing wrong with getting help.

"It's fine," I assure him, turning over my parchment. "Anyway, I've decided we're going to look over the Drought of Living Death," I tell him. "It's one of the first potions you should have done in sixth year. Right now, Slughorn is making us write out the properties of it. First, tell me what you know about the potion. What ingredients do you need? What effect does it have on the taker?"

James pulls a face, thinking hard about this. "That's the one that... kills people?" he guesses.

I shake my head. "No. The potion places the taker into a deep sleep, which makes them look dead," I explain. "You should take this stuff down, you know."

"Oh." He rummages through his bag, pulling out a quill, ink, and a copy.

The hour passes quickly enough, and by the time we're finished, James is able to tell me the main ingredients in the potion, and a few of its properties. I feel almost proud of myself. As I put away my own stuff, I begin to wonder if I should consider teaching as a possible career choice. Last year, when we were asked what we wanted to do after Hogwarts, I wasn't entirely sure. Flitwick had suggested trying to get into the Department of Mysteries, because of how smart I am. Eventually, I said I'd like to go into the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

However, I feel like I could make an excellent teacher. Maybe I could take after Slughorn when he eventually retires. Unless he pulls a Binns on us, and stays here forever. How unfortunate would that be?

"Hey, by the way," James says, as we head out of the library together. "Your brother and I didn't look through your mail."

I stop and stare at him, surprised by his statement. "Then how did you know what I said about you?" I ask, folding my arms.

"Okay, we opened one, and it was just the most fortunate luck that it was that one," he replies. "But I swear we didn't look through anymore of them."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Why are you even telling me this?"

He shrugs his shoulders, avoiding eye contact with me. "I felt bad," he admits. "As much fun as it would be to make you think we have a load of dirt on you, it made me feel guilty. I mean, I'd hate it if anyone went through my mail."

"Why? What secrets are you hiding, Potter?" I tease.

For a moment he looks unfocused, as though thinking about something, but quickly, he returns to his usual cool self. "Nothing that needs to worry you," he says.

"I bet you mail out your list of girls you've snogged to Fred and Alex, each time a new name crossed off," I joke, as we continue our walk. By now, dinner would be nearly ready, and after the long day I've had, I couldn't wait to eat. I had double herbology today, which drained me of all motivation. It was a wonder how I got through tutoring James.

He grins. "Have nearly every girl crossed off," he says. I make a face and he laughs. "I don't have a list. But if I did, Claudia would be next on it." I roll my eyes. "I really don't know why you guys won't ask her to-"

"To what?" I interrupt. "Ask: _Hey Claudia! Will you snog James?" _I shake my head. "It hardly works like that!"

"It seems to work for me," he says with a shrug.

"Do you ever get tired of people throwing themselves at you?"

He pauses for a moment as we reach the doors of the Great Hall, considering my question. No one else is around, as it's still half an hour before dinner. "I never really think about it," he replies honestly, tilting his head slightly. "You kind of get used to it, I guess. I mean, I grew up surrounded by people, having my face in magazines. Being known. I don't really know anything else." He sighs. "I rarely get time to myself."

"You have time to yourself now," I point out, spreading my hands out to emphasize the empty entrance hall. "Definitely no girls around to throw themselves at you."

"Sometimes I'm glad you hate me," he says, opening the doors to the great hall. Even inside, it's nearly empty. Two first year Ravenclaw boys sit at the top of the Ravenclaw table. They stare at James in awe (he is famous, after all, because of his family), as we enter into the hall. A group of Slytherin's sit together, and I notice Scorpius and Albus among them. They glance over when they see us, but upon seeing James, Albus looks away again. The brothers never got on particularly well, and were probably in another argument about something stupid.

"I don't hate you," I tell him, sitting down next to him at the Gryffindor table. "You just annoy me... a lot." He doesn't look surprised at this. "Also, you just go around snogging girls all the time. It's... gross."

"Don't be jealous," he jokes. "I can put you down on my list if you want. For helping me, I'll even put you on top."

I know he's joking, but my cheeks go red. I wish I wasn't so easily flustered. It can be quite annoying. "Don't be stupid," I snap, not meaning to.

"And _please _don't add my sister to your list," Alex says, joining us, and looking utterly disgusted. Fred sits down next to him, laughing at all of our horrified faces. "James, when are you putting the notice up?"

"It'll be up this evening," James tells him. "All we need really is a keeper, and new beaters. Maybe a new seeker."

"Hey!" Alex says defensively.

"Chill, mate," James says, grinning. "I won't be replacing you." He looks to me. "So, any news on the Ravenclaw team?"

"No," I reply. "And even if there was, why on earth would I tell you?"

"Because I'm you're favourite person on the entire planet?" he suggests. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. With me as captain this year, Gryffindor are bound to win. Every single team will want me to play for them, and I'll become the best chaser in the world."

I roll my eyes. "You're so full of it," I mutter. Although, it can't be denied that James is an outstanding player. People won't be recruiting him because he's the famous son of Harry Potter- they'll recruit him because he's got the skill. I remember the first time I saw him play when I was in first year- it was his first time playing, and he was a natural. Honestly, I was awestruck.

In fact, seeing him in his first match, how relaxed he looked on the broom, made me want to play quidditch more than ever. Of course, I didn't make the team in first year, but eventually I became the Ravenclaw keeper. I'm pretty good at it.

I hear laughing behind me, so I look over my shoulder.

At the Ravenclaw table (the hall is finally filling up), three girls I recognize instantly sit staring in my direction, and begin giggling behind their hands. I glare at them, feeling my blood boil. Two of those girls are in the year above me, the third, the year below me. Anna, Emily, and Emma. I wouldn't call them enemies, to be exact, but they've made it clear they don't like me.

Okay, it wasn't my fault really. Anna, one of the seventh year girls, had been the Ravenclaw keeper before me. I had beaten her in drills in tryouts, so I replaced her on the team. Clearly, she still hates me for it. I don't blame her- if someone came along and took my place, I'd probably hate them, too. Still, I feel hurt that they're clearly talking about me.

I look forward, trying my best to ignore them, but they make it so clear that they're laughing and talking about me.

Seeing my frustrated and annoyed expression, James turns to look at the girls. "Ignore them," he tells me.

"Trying to," I grumble.

"Isn't the girl with the black hair the one you replaced on the team?" Fred asks, squinting over in their direction.

I nod my head. It's hard to ignore them when they keep talking about them. Where's my friends when I need them? I look to the doors, hoping that they'll be here soon.

"Ah, so she's just jealous," James realizes. He looks back over his shoulder and his eyes widen. He looks to Alex. "Wait- didn't you snog her at one of our Gryffindor parties?"

The Gryffindor parties. The most talked about events in Hogwarts during the year. I've never been to one, and I probably never will go to one. But, every year after Gryffindor matches, they hold these massive parties. Not many people from other houses go, but the odd one or two gets invited to them, so they go. Obviously, I've never been invited to one. I hear plenty of stories about them- butterbeer, firewhiskey, the whole lot. And, McGonagall allows them to have these parties. Apparently, after three generations of Weasley's and Potters, she's given up trying to stop them.

Alex shifts uncomfortably on the bench. "I think so," he admits.

I huff. "Seriously? What's with you guys and snogging every single girl?"

"Hey, we don't actually snog every single girl," Alex says. "Did you know there's this thing girls do- lying."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, Mia. So innocent." James sighs. "Seriously, we're not actually _manwhores, _as you so called us. Sometimes, girls make up stuff. I mean, we don't deny it a lot of the time, but we don't exactly agree either."

"Girls actually say they've snogged you when they haven't?"

"My pals here are famous, and I'm their best friend," Alex reminds me. "A lot of girls will do anything for attention."

"People are strange," I decide.

Finally, Eleanor, Rose, and Dani join us. I feel more relaxed when they're with me. Especially when I'm with the lads. After years of teasing and mocking, it becomes difficult to handle them on my own. Plus, they'll defend me if the guys do say something to me. I also feel better knowing that Alex and James hadn't actually read my mail.

"Mia, are we ever going to eat at the Ravenclaw table, again?" Eleanor jokes, as food finally appears on the table before us, and I begin to delve into my dinner.

I shrug, wondering when it became a habit to sit at the Gryffindor table. This isn't the first year that we've ate at the Gryffindor table- for some reason, Eleanor and I have a habit of joining Dani and Rose at their table. The only year I grew out of that habit was the year the rumor spread around about my crush on Fred. Dani sat with El and I at the Ravenclaw table that year.

Rose had often joined us, but not much. I was never as close to Rose as I am to Eleanor and Dani, despite her being around us a lot. Rose is a close friend of Dani's, though, so it's not strange to be around her. I'm not even sure why we never became close, if being honest. Perhaps it's my jealousy towards their family, and their fame. Like most Weasley's and Potter's, Rose is quite popular. However, like her cousin Albus, she has a tendency to keep to herself.

I don't know why I'm so jealous of them. Maybe it's that they have such a big family, while Alex and I only have each other, and our mother. I never realized how small my family is until my father died.

"Why would you want to spend time over there, when you can spend time with us?" James asks El, as he steals a chip from my plate.

"There's a whole platter of chips in front of you, and you take one from my plate..." I sigh. He just grins at me, and I purse my lips.

"Because over there, Mia's food doesn't get stolen," she says, frowning.

"Okay, but it's boring," Fred says.

"And," Dani adds in, "over here, nobody hates Mia."

"That's a good point," I reply, nodding my head. "There's no Emily, Emma and Anna, and there's thankfully no Carter."

"Mia!" someone calls from the bottom of the hall. I look down, and see the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Jason Edwards, walking in my direction. My stomach twists in excitement- there's only one possible reason Jason would be looking for me; tryouts are soon. Merlin, now that I'm thinking about it, I'm a bit nervous for tryouts. What if someone better comes along and takes my place? I feel sick with that thought.

Jason eventually reaches us, and gives a cold nod to James. Naturally, there's still tension from last year. I'm still quite angry that Gryffindor beat us in the final. Jason wouldn't talk to anyone for a week after that match. Although I love Quidditch, Jason takes the love of Quidditch to a whole other level. He's completely obsessed with the sport, and overly competitive.

When it comes to training, there's no slacking with him. However, since it's his final year, there's also a lot of speculation over who he will choose to replace him once he's gone. Part of me desperately wants him to choose me, but I doubt that will happen.

"So, I've just put up the notice in the Ravenclaw common room," Jason tells me. "Tryouts for the team will be this Saturday, at twelve. Make sure you're ready for it."

"I always am," I reply.

"Great," he says. "And good luck in your tryouts- make sure to get a lot of practice before then. I don't want some second year replacing you." He looks like he wants to tell me something else, but he shakes his head. "Just make sure you save all the shots." With that, he turns and walks towards the Ravenclaw table. I stare after him for a moment, wondering what he wanted to tell me.

"He obviously wants you to remain on the team," Dani says, raising an eyebrow.

I look to Dani, confused. "I'm a decent enough keeper," I state.

"Yeah, that's true," El agrees. "Do you think he's considering making you captain?"

My eyes widen in surprise at her words. As much as that'd be great, I really don't think that's going to happen. "Okay, I'm good, but I'm not _that _good."

"For a Quidditch player, you doubt yourself way too much," Rose tells me. "You're really good at Quidditch."

I smile at her. Okay, I'm not getting my hopes up just in case they're wrong, but I feel flattered. If they think I'm good enough to be captain, maybe I am good enough to replace Jason. I mean, I've been on the team since second year, and for two of those four years, we've won the house cup. I imagine myself, momentarily, as the Ravenclaw captain, and I feel my chest fill with longing.

However, I clear my head of those thoughts. I shouldn't be too hopeful- hell, I'm not even sure if I'm still on the team yet. I'll know soon enough, though, and that thought makes me anxious. I need to remain on the team if I want any chance of being captain next year.

"Does anyone feel up to practicing some Quidditch tomorrow?" I ask the group. "Maybe a three on three match?" I look to Eleanor. "Would you be the referee?" I ask her. "I know you don't like Quidditch, much."

"I suppose," she mumbles. "It better not be raining, though."

"I guess I wouldn't be betraying my team if I played a match _against_ you," James muses. "I'd be up for it."

"I guess it could be fun," Fred says.

The rest of them agree, so it's settled. Tomorrow begins my practice. And I will be getting on the team, no matter what it takes. I have to.

* * *

**What even ... ? Sometimes I wonder how I get reviewers. I'm lame af! but thank you all! Please let me know what you think! :D**

**Also, this is 3k+ words... I'm still getting into the swing of writing again, so please be patient! I haven't written anything creatively since last year. Everything I write lately is academic ... ugh. Sorry. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Important A/N: Okay so a few of you seem to be under the impression that Mia hates the Weasley's and Potter's. I just wanna say that that's not entirely true. Also, her jealousy, or envy of the Potter's is all part of the story (and her own) development. Just trust me. ! So, please don't get annoyed with her just yet !**

* * *

I walk towards the door, my heart beating heavily in my chest. There's something wrong. The moment I walked inside the house, I knew something was terribly wrong. It's the silence that greets you, which makes your body go cold. You just know. Each creek of the floorboard makes me unsettled, as I walk through the silent house.

At the end of the hall, the door to my father's study is shut.

That's the moment I know something is definitely wrong. I force my legs to move me forward, stretching out my shaking hand. The handle of the door is cold, and my breathing is heavy.

With a deep breath, I push the door open, and part of me knows what I'm going to see.

* * *

I wake up panting, the image burned into my mind.

The morning sun casts the room into a golden glow, and birds chirp noisily outside the windows. I sit up, trying to regain control of my breathing- I begin to count, going over my usual routine whenever I have that dream. I wish my mother was here. She always comforts me when I have this dream. Or I wish I could talk to Alex. At least he'd understand.

I debate whether or not to wake Eleanor and talk to her about this, but I can't. I can't bring myself to talk about it. I'm still not sure why it had to happen, or why he did what he did. I'm still angry at him for leaving me. It's never not going to hurt whenever I think about him, and I know that. Still, ever since he died, I've done my best to forget him, because if he really loved me, why would he leave?

It's part of the reason I begged not to be in Slytherin. After all these years, I'm still angry at him, and it'll never make sense to me.

Feeling shaken up, I force myself out of bed.

I quickly get dressed, glancing at the time on my watch. 6:40. No one's going to be up for at least another half hour. Knowing I won't be able to get back to sleep, I decide to head to the Great Hall. I grab my bag, and head down from the girls dormitory.

The halls are eerily quiet, except somewhere I can hear Peeves cackling. I frown. Is he really up to mischief at this hour in the morning? Still, there's no students around, which makes me happy. Sometimes being alone is a blessing.

However, when I reach the Great Hall, it seems I'm not the only one who's up early. I narrow my eyes when I see Carter sitting at the Ravenclaw table, reading the Daily Prophet. Seeing as Dani isn't around, I take a seat at the end of the Ravenclaw table, as far away from Carter as I can get. He looks up when he sees me, sighs, and then looks back down at the paper in his hand.

"Your mother is in the Daily Prophet," Carter proceeds to tell me. Although he's not sitting near me, his voice echoes down the hall, due to it being empty bar the two of us.

I don't reply, as it's not strange to have my mother in the Daily Prophet. She is part of the Wizengamot Administration, after all. Plus, I don't feel like talking to Carter after the morning I've had. I rummage through my bag, deciding to look over my potions book for our next potion. Still, I can't gather my thoughts enough to concentrate. I keep seeing him in my mind- his bony white hands, his eyes closed, his face purple.

I feel like I'm going to be sick.

"How did someone so smart have children like you two?" Carter mumbles, knowing full well I can hear him.

I clench my hands into fists, trying to think of anything else but my dad. I feel my eyes burning, and my breathing becomes heavy again, as I force myself not to throw up. I _was _nine. No nine year old should have seen what I did that day. I suddenly feel as though I can't breathe. Why now? Why do I have to go through this now, when Carter is here?

"I hear the ministry is going to let people go soon," Carter continues on, not caring that I haven't said a single word to him yet. "I bet your mother will be the next to be fired."

I bite down on my tongue. _Ignore him. _He's just an idiot who's trying to make me angry. He wants any excuse to get me in detention- again, I'm still not sure how he was chosen to be prefect. He's a snotty moron.

"Carter, have you ever thought of getting a life?" I grumble, not able to hold in my anger anymore.

"Ohh, _burn_," he says slyly, rolling his eyes. "Whatever, Mia. When you stop being so jealous of people and _you _get a life, then maybe people will finally like you more."

"Like me more?" I cry. "I have plenty of friends, I don't _want _people to like me more."

"What? Two friends?" Carter laughs.

"I have more than two friends," I say through gritted teeth.

"Pfft," he scoffs. He closes the Daily Prophet, clearly more interested in our conversation now. "What, like Rose, who you're clearly jealous of? Or your brother and his friends who constantly tease you?"

I know he's only trying to rile me up, but I can't help but wonder if it's true. I do have hardly any friends- how can I be friends with a girl who I envy? And I can hardly call my brother and his friends my friends, can I? Especially when all they ever do is tease me.

"Just leave me _alone_, Carter," I snap.

He tilts his head, looking confused. "I'm just stating facts, Mia. The sooner you accept them, the easier it will be for you to move on and stop being petty."

"That's it," I yell, standing up, and taking out my wand. Carter quirks an eyebrow up, looking amused, yet trying to keep his face straight. "One more word and I swear to god, Carter-"

"Are you threatening me?"

I stare at him coldly, my wand gripped tightly in my hand. I wait for him to say something else, but just as he opens his mouth to continue talking, the Great Hall door opens up. I don't look to see who it is, as I remain looking at Carter. I don't hear anyone walk in, but I know someone is there, and they're probably wondering what's going on. I know it doesn't look good from someone else's point of view.

"What's going on here?"

I turn away from Carter, recognizing the voice. Rose Weasley stands at the entrance of the Great Hall, her messy red hair tied loosely behind her. She looks somewhat alarmed, and when she sees my expression, she knows right away something is wrong. She knows Carter and I don't get along, too, so seeing us alone together in the hall must send off warning bells.

"Nothing," I lie, sitting back down on the bench, hating Carter with every fiber of my being.

How could such an idiot be so right about me? I am petty. I mean, okay, I envy the Weasley's and the Potter's for the life they have. I want a family who are close to one another. I want to be able to have cousins who I can talk to, or at least a brother I can confide in. I want the holidays to seem less lonely than they are when it's just Alex, my mother, and I.

I want the chaotic family. I want someone to always be around, someone else to care for me. More importantly, I want to feel less alone. So, yes, I am petty. And pathetic. And so, so mad at myself for actually allowing Carter to get to me so easily. I don't normally overreact about stuff he says to me, but today is just _not _a good day.

I don't want to admit it, but despite being furious at my father for leaving us like he did, I miss him. Of course I miss him.

Rose comes over to sit beside me, looking worried. "What did that git say to you?" she asks, glaring over at him. Once again, Carter has busied himself with the Daily Prophet, no longer caring about riling me up, thankfully.

"It doesn't matter," I mumble, feeling my energy draining away. I'm an idiot for letting him get to me.

"Whatever he said, ignore it," she tells me quietly. "He'll do anything for attention."

I nod my head, because frankly, I don't want to talk about it. Especially not with Rose. How embarrassing would it be to say, _Carter says we're not really friends because how can I be friends with someone I'm jealous of_? I look at Rose, with her bright, messy red hair, and her long nose masked in freckles. Ugh. Maybe Carter is right, and I should stop being so overly jealous. Rose is a nice person, and she does seem to like me.

Plus, I _do _like Rose.

"What are you doing up so early?" I ask her, wanting to change the subject.

"I always get up early," she replies, shrugging her shoulders. "The castle is quieter at this time. It's nice."

I agree with her. On my way here, I got to marvel at the beauty of the castle when it isn't run over with hundreds of students, bustling their way through the halls. I got to stare out onto the lake, and the forest, and the little hut that housed the Groundskeeper, and professor, Hagrid. In the distance I could see the thestrals, the creatures that only an unlucky few got to see, flying above the forbidden forest, their wings catching the morning light.

Sometimes, you forget how beautiful something is when you see it all the time.

"So, you ready to kick the guys asses, today?" Rose asks, grinning.

"Of course," I say, smiling. "They won't know what hit them."

Rose stays with me that morning, which causes Dani to join us at the Ravenclaw table. I'm grateful for Rose at that moment, especially because she saw that I didn't feel comfortable talking about what happened, and didn't pressure me to talk about it. As much as I love El, sometimes she doesn't understand that sometimes I don't feel like talking about my problems.

"Why were you up so early?" El asks, as Dani and Rose begin talking about the practice match later.

"Just was," I tell her, as I eat my breakfast. "Thought I'd come down early." And thankfully, El believes me.

* * *

"Okay, so, Fred and Mia are the keepers," Eleanor says, as we stand around her. "James and Rose are the chasers, and Alex and Dani are the seekers." We all nod our heads. "No bludgers involved so no beaters... mostly because madam hooch said _no_..." She sighs, looking up at the clouds that begin to veil the sun. "So, mount your brooms, and get into your positions."

I fly over to the fifty feet high goal posts, feeling adrenaline course through my body. I watch as the others take their position. James and Rose face each other at the center of the pitch, staring sharply at one another. Below them, Eleanor stands, the quaffle in her hand, ready to start the match. Above them, Alex and Dani wait patiently.

Eleanor releases the snitch first, which circles quickly around their heads, and then it's off, somewhere I can't see. Dani and Alex's heads turn, following the direction of the snitch with their sharp vision. I mean, honestly, it's practically invisible to me from the goal posts.

Finally, Eleanor throws the quaffle into the air, beginning the match.

I brace myself, as the quaffle lands into James outstretched hands. Without hesitating, Rose pushes her body against his, trying to knock the quaffle out of his hands. He dives to the side swiftly, throwing her off for a moment. In that time, without anyone else to stop him, he flies quickly down the pitch, trailed closely by his cousin. I narrow my eyes as he comes closer to the goal posts, readying myself to block his shot.

He throws the quaffle hard, looking at the right post. However, I know this tactic like the back of my hand. In order to try throw me off, he instead throws the quaffle in the direction of the left post.

I dive, my hands clasping the quaffle in my hand before it can get through the hoop. From below, Eleanor cheers me on. I smile smugly at James, who just huffs, clearly annoyed about missing the shot. I pass the quaffle to Rose quickly, and she zooms down the pitch. James catches up with her quickly, but Rose is quicker. Urging her own broom on, she has enough time to take a shot- and thankfully, Fred is too slow to stop her shot. The quaffle passes through the right hoop, which means we have ten points.

While I can, I look up to Dani, who's circling the pitch, looking carefully for the snitch. She gives me a thumbs up, and I focus back on the game.

Fred passes the quaffle to James, who looks more determined than ever. When Rose comes towards him to intervene, he swoops below her, pulling a complete 360. My eyes widen, amazed by his move. Even Rose looks baffled for a moment, but quickly shakes out of it.

James comes quickly down the pitch, his eyes focused and confident.

He throws the quaffle quickly, and as I dive, it brushes the tips of my fingers, passing through the hoop. I swear, as James whoops in delight. This time he smiles smugly at me, which makes me narrow my eyes at him. He laughs as I go to retrieve the quaffle.

The game goes on like that for an hour- James scored the next goal, then Rose, and on, and on. The match is 70-60 to the guys, before finally, the snitch is spotted by Alex. Following his movements, Dani herself soon spots the snitch, and dives after Alex to catch it.

All of us stop for a moment to watch them race for it, but seizing the opportunity, Rose flies with the quaffle. Annoyed with himself for getting distracted, James trails after her. Just as Rose scores with a magnificent shot, I hear Alex cheer.

Everyone stops, looking towards the two seekers. Alex holds his hand above his head, two wings emerging out from his closed fist. We all land and meet in the middle, and I feel thoroughly disappointed. However, it can't be denied that we all played a great game, even myself. There were plenty of shots I saved, but I do need to practice a bit more if I'm definitely going to make the team.

James claps Alex on the back, smiling widely. "Well done, mate."

"Yeah, yeah, you guys won a fake match," Dani grumbles, hopping off her broom. "Congrats."

"Hey, no need to be so jealous," Fred jokes. "Great victory for the boys, I must say."

I just shake my head, grinning. Despite losing, being out on the pitch really cleared my head from this morning. And, I realize Carter is right. Being envious and jealous of the Weasley-Potter family isn't going to get me anywhere. I know it will take awhile to get over it, but maybe it is time I stop being so pathetic and just accept what happened all those years ago. No one can change the past.

I run over to the stands to grab my bag.

James joins me, despite not having any belongings with him. "Did something happen this morning?" he asks me quietly, once we're away from the others. "Rose said something happened between you and Carter."

I let out a low sigh, wishing we could all move on from this mornings events. "Why did she tell you?" I mutter, shouldering my bag. I stare up at him, my arms folded.

"She actually wanted me to tell Alex," James says. "She's worried about you, I guess."

I look alarmed over in Alex's direction. I can't bare telling him I'm still getting those nightmares. It's been awhile since I've told him, and he thinks I'm somewhat better. Although I'd like to confide in him, I feel embarrassed. I mean, it's been seven years. I should be over it by now, right? How can anyone ever recover from finding their father taking his final breath, though?

"That's sweet," I say, finally. "But she doesn't have to worry. And... please don't tell Alex anything." I look back up to James, pleadingly. "Carter and I just got into an argument over something stupid. It's fine, honestly."

"Are you sure? Rose said she walked in with you with your wand out-"

"James, seriously," I interrupt.

He holds up his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine," he says. "But if you need me to kick his ass, just tell me."

I smile. "I'll keep that in mind," I reply. "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem," he says softly. "Now come on, I'm starving, and dinner is calling."

We join the others, and together we all head to the Great Hall, my mood finally lifting.

* * *

**Wow, you guys seem to really ship Mia and James (I like the ship name guest who named them Jia!). lifeismorethanaprettyface I hope that i explained her jealousy / envy towards Rose better in this chapter. I realize I only briefly discussed it in the previous chapter! **

**Anyway, as always, all reviews are accepted and loved by me :D **


	7. Chapter 7

**Tryouts**

I can do this. I _can _do this. I can totally do this.

Saturday morning, as I head down for breakfast, all I can think about is everything that can go wrong today at tryouts. Everything. Everything can go wrong. What if I miss every shot? What if I miss _one _shot and the other person trying out doesn't? What if I _die_? Okay, maybe the last one is a bit OTT, but who knows? This is Hogwarts- anything can happen.

Still, my stomach feels sick as I sit down beside Dani. Herself and Rose try their best to console me, seeing how nervous I am, but I can't calm down. Am I this nervous every year?

Well, yes.

I look down at the food on my plate- a bowl of porridge with honey on top. My stomach turns as I stare at it, so instead I look to my hands on my lap. Breathe in, breathe out. Counting. Going over my homework. _Nothing _seems to help. Merlin, I need to relax. Even if I don't make the team, it's not the end of the world.

However, what if Jason does want me to be captain next year? What if people see me playing and decide they want to recruit me for their team? I mean, I haven't even considered Quidditch as an option for a career after Hogwarts, but it would be wicked to be acknowledged, at least.

Maybe that's why I'm so nervous. This is the year that makes it or breaks it for me- if I don't get on the team I have no chance at all of being captain. Being a keeper, it's hard to be noticed by recruiters, but if I become the captain, I have a way better chance.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Alex says, sitting down across from me.

"I have tryouts later," I reply.

"Hey, don't worry, you'll do fine," Fred assures me, sitting next to Alex. I stare at him in wonder for a moment, still surprised by how nice he is to me, compared to his friends. I suppose one of them _has _to be nice.

James squeezes in between Eleanor and I, which makes her huff. I'm too involved in my own worries to even care about James right now, and him annoying Eleanor.

"We've all seen you play, Mia," James says, taking my bowl of untouched porridge. I quirk an eyebrow up. He takes a spoon of it, and then places it back down in front of me. "You're actually a decent player."

"Thanks," I mumble. I mix my porridge around absentmindedly.

"I'll be there to cheer you on," Eleanor reminds me softly.

"I mean, I'd come too, but I don't think Jason would appreciate non-Ravenclaw's being at the tryouts," Dani pitches in. "But I'll be supporting you in spirit."

I smile at this, grateful to have great friends to support me.

* * *

By the time half twelve comes around, I'm a ball of nerves. Before tryouts, seeing as he's the best chaser, James took shots on me so I could practice more. I saved over two thirds of the shots, which made me feel somewhat better. After that, Jason came down to the quidditch pitch, which was when they all left, bar Eleanor, who went to the stands to watch.

Two others stand beside me, both trying out to be keeper. One of them is a fifth year girl, with dark skin, and long, glossy black hair, which is tied up into a neat ponytail. I don't know her, but she looks somewhat familiar. The other is a third year Asian male, who is nervously gripping his broom. Used to the routine of tryouts, I just gaze straight ahead, my thoughts on getting through these.

However, I don't think I've seen either of these people play before. What if they're amazing, and I'm simply mediocre compared to them both? I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to convert my thoughts to something else.

I look up to the stands, where Eleanor sits. She looks cold, with a Ravenclaw scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. She sees me looking, and gives me a thumbs up.

"Alright," Jason says, gaining the attention of everyone. "Technically speaking, we only really need a beater, and two chasers. However, of course, I'm willing to let others tryout for other positions. I want our team to be the best." He takes in a deep breath. "This is my final year as captain, and I want to make it count. Now, no one has come to tryouts to replace Jenny, so she will remain Seeker this year." He nods in the direction of the seventh year seeker.

"Okay, so let's begin tryouts." His gaze lands on me. "Keepers, we will rotate you for this. Chet, you're up first."

Chet looks as though he's about to get sick as he mounts his broom. I feel almost sorry for him, but then I remember that right now, Chet is the enemy. I wonder did I look as nervous as he does on my first tryout? Oh Merlin, I hope not.

However, as he flies up to the rings, he looks suddenly relaxed. I suppress a smile, knowing that feeling all too well.

The chasers trying out take ten shots each. Chet is a good keeper, there's no denying. By the end of the ten shots, he's saved six of them. Six is good. Not brilliant, but good.

Zoe goes up next, which aggravates me. Jason is purposely leaving me until last. He knows I'm anxious. Before he flies up to take shots with the others, he comes over to me.

"Look, I really don't want to have to replace you," he admits. "You're one of the best on the team. Jenny and I will be gone next year, and it will just be you and Jack left from the team I trained since fifth year." He sighs. "One of you _will _be captain next year... and... I'm really considering you, Mia." I try not look too amazed at this- _me_, as captain of Ravenclaw! How wicked would that be? "So, show these two what you've got." He smiles at me, brushing his hand through his blonde hair.

"I'll do my best," I say, still in shock over what he just said.

"Good luck," he tells me, before flying up to the others, who are waiting to take shots on Zoe.

I watch, feeling more determined than ever. I'm disappointed when Zoe saves eight out of the ten shots. I can feel my heart beat quicken, as Jason calls me up to the posts.

I mount my broom, and make my way up. I can't help but smile, happy to be flying. I always feel happier when I'm flying. Maybe I should also consider quidditch as a viable career path. Plus, with a background of quidditch, it would be much easier to get into the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

I try not to ponder too much on my thoughts as the chasers line up to take their shots.

I save the first four shots easily. The fifth one I barely catch, which gets my adrenaline going. The sixth one Jason throws, and I have to dive to actually save it. It hits off my arm, and bounces away from the goals. The seventh one I kick away. The eight one brushes the tips of my fingers, and I watch in slow motion as it goes through the hoop.

I curse, feeling annoyed with myself for missing that shot.

I narrow my eyes as the next chaser lines up, ready to take their shot.

I can do this.

Another dive, and another save. One more shot to save, and I have this. One more shot and I might be the captain next year. I have to do this. I've never wanted anything more in my entire life. I can't do sudden death with Zoe, I just _can't_.

I watch carefully as the next person lines up for their shot. I tighten my grip on my broom, ready to dive in any direction the quaffle might go. I can hear my heart beating in the silence. The wind howls around me, the sun suddenly blocked from view. Everything is still. It's like everyone is holding their breath- waiting, watching, wondering if I can do it.

The quaffle is released from the throwers hands, heading for the right hoop. I swerve, stretching out my hands to catch the quaffle. However, that doesn't happen. I watch in horror as the quaffle brushes the tips of my fingers, going right through the hoop in ease. I let out a breath, disgusted with what just happened. My stomach ties into a tight knot, and I can feel my mood turn sour.

I look to Jason, who's looking wide-eyed at me. He looks as disappointed as I feel.

After a moment of complete silence, Jason clears his throat. "Um, alright." He shakes his head. "Zoe, Mia, you two will have a sudden death round. Whoever lets in the first goal will be cut." He looks to me, a little bit of reassurance in his gaze. "Mia, you're up first this time."

I fly back to the hoops, my jaw clenched tightly. I just have to save as many shots as possible, hoping that Zoe will let in the first shot.

We rotate for awhile, neither of us letting in any of the shots. Jason looks impressed by both of us, but because of what he said earlier, I know he's secretly rooting for me. I wonder if Jack and Jenny are rooting for me, too? Sometimes I wish I was closer to everyone on the team. After the years spent with them, they feel like family, although distant. Another reason I can't lose to Zoe.

I save the next shot, and Zoe goes up to take my place.

I watch as Jason bounces the quaffle on the palm of his hand. His eyes narrow slightly, his head tilts. I've watched him probably a thousand times, but my awe of him never fades. Like James, Jason is a natural at quidditch. I remember watching him in first year, too, soaring through the air, a look of determination on his face that never vanished until the match had ended.

Like every other shot, my stomach twists in nervousness as the ball soars through the air, heading for the left ring.

Zoe reaches out, hands determined to find the quaffle. It slips past her hands, and I watch in triumph as the quaffle slips through the ring. I keep a straight face as I pass my regards to Zoe. She simply smiles, shakes my hand, and then heads towards the changing rooms. Once she's gone, Jason lands and pulls me into a hug, which causes me to feel embarrassed.

"I knew you could do it," he says, releasing me and ruffling my hair.

I laugh, punching his side lightly, to make him stop ruffling my hair. I can't hide how ecstatic I feel now that I'm officially on the team again. The others grin at us, looking between us both. It is unprofessional of him to favor someone over the other.

"So, official Ravenclaw keeper is Mia Johnson," Jason announces. "And, I saw great shots taken by the rest of you. Those trying out for the open chaser positions can leave. I'll have the list up by Monday of who's made the team." He looks to the remaining people. "So, now all that's left is finding Jack a partner." He looks up to the stands where Jack is sitting, gazing down at us. I wonder how I didn't spot him before. I look for Eleanor, but she's no longer in the stands.

She's running towards me, a smile plastered on her face. Her cheeks are rosy from the cold, and I can't imagine what mine must look like. When she reaches me, she pulls me into a hug, and I laugh out of joy.

"Come on," I say to her, "let's watch the rest of the tryouts up at the stands."

We pass Jack who's coming down to examine those trying out to be his partner, and he congratulates me on making the team again. I grin, still surprised by this. I'm officially in the run for being next years captain- something I never realized I wanted until I almost didn't make the team. I want it so badly, and it's only in short reach. I have to prove myself to Jason more than ever, now.

Eleanor and I gaze down at the pitch. "He says he's considering making me captain next year," I tell El, biting my lip.

She turns to me, her eyes wide. "Seriously?" I nod my head. "I knew it! He'd be stupid not to consider you-"

"Hey, now," Jason interrupts us, joining us at the stands. His sudden presence causes me to jump, as I hadn't noticed him making his way towards us. "I am definitely not stupid."

He sits himself down beside me, watching the pitch intently.

"Shouldn't you be down there, deciding who makes the team?" Eleanor asks him.

"I let the beaters decide their partner," Jason replies. "They know better than I would who they work well with." He glances at me for a moment. "Actually, Eleanor, is it okay if I speak to Mia for a second?"

Eleanor frowns, but nods her head. I follow Jason away from her, slightly confused. I wonder if he wants to talk about me being captain next year, or perhaps that he's decided Jack would be best suited to the position.

He rubs the back of his neck when we're far enough away from Eleanor. "Look, it's my final year in Hogwarts," he begins. "I really do want to make the most of this year."

"We'll definitely miss you on the team," I tell him, giving him a smile.

This, for some reason, makes him frown. "Well, I hope I'm not only missed because I won't be on the team anymore."

"Oh," I say dumbly. "I mean, of course I'm going to miss you anyway! You were a great friend these last few years. It won't be same without you around."

This causes his frown to vanish slightly, but I can see that he's still unsure whether or not I'll actually miss him, or his quidditch skills. Truth is, I will miss Jason. He really has been a great friend, and he's believed in my skills since I began quidditch. He's supported me as much as my close friends have, and I don't think I would have continued loving quidditch as much as I do, if it weren't for him.

Even in third year, when I had fallen off of my broom when a bludger knocked me through the hoop (A horrible feeling I would not wish on anyone), Jason had come to visit me in the Hospital Wing, telling me that the team isn't the same without me. Of course, I got visits from my brother and James too (Fred was avoiding me at this point), but Jason's were a lot quieter and nicer.

I owe Jason a lot. After that fall, I was nervous about playing again, but he got me back up to speed.

"Look, in two weeks we have our first trip to Hogsmeade," he continues. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to meet up to get a Butterbeer, or something?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, sure! Will the rest of the team be coming?" I ask, being the idiot that I am.

His cheeks turn a little pink. "Uh..." He trails off, looking embarrassed. I internally curse myself, because, Merlin, I am a complete twat. "Well, I was hoping it would be just you and me."

"Oh." My cheeks grow warm. "A date?"

He gives a nervous smile. "Yeah," he says. "But we don't have to if you don't want to."

I shake my head quickly. "No, sorry. I don't get asked on a date much, I'm not good with this," I ramble on, wishing my mouth would stop opening. "Of course I'll go on a date with you." I'm surprised by my answer, because: 1) I've never been interested much in Jason. I mean, he's attractive, and he likes a lot of the things I do, but he's not someone I ever considered dating. Or, well, he's not someone I ever thought would consider dating _me_. And, (2) I've never been on a date before, and not knowing what to expect makes me nervous.

"Oh, great!" he replies. His smile looks more confident now, and his cheeks have returned to their usual colour. I can imagine mine are flaming red at this point. "I'll see you around- I have to go catch up on some homework." He walks away from me, and I turn back to Eleanor who's patiently waiting for me to return to her.

"What did Jason want?" she asks when I reach her.

I sit down, because I still can't process what just happened. "I got asked on a date."

* * *

**I like Jason... I like writing him. I don't know, sorry. He's just an important character to keep this story moving! Sorry for the longer than usual wait for this update- I got busy doing other things **

**Anyway, please review! I really do appreciate them, and it makes my motivation to write go up a lot! **


	8. Chapter 8

**The Date: Part 1**

"A date?" Dani exclaims loudly, causing several heads to turn our way.

I raise my hand to her mouth covering it, my face growing warm. With a raised eyebrow, Rose leans in closer from across the table to listen to the conversation. So much for keeping it private. I wait until everyone else has turned back to their dinner, before I confirm what Dani just said. "Yeah, Jason asked me this morning."

"And you said yes?" Rose asks, looking mildly surprised.

"Of course she did," Eleanor intervenes before I get a chance to reply. "Have you guys _seen _Jason?" She sighs, glancing over at the Ravenclaw table. "He's one of the best looking seventh years." She looks back to me. "Merlin, Mia, I envy you so much right now."

"I mean, it's no big deal, right?" I say, looking between the three other girls.

Rose shrugs. "It doesn't have to be," she tells me. "Look, you have two weeks to prepare for it, anyway. Plus, Jason is a really nice person. You could do a lot worse."

"That's... not what I meant," I mumble. I feel my cheeks turning red, and I look down at my hands, which pull at the hem of my shirt. "I've never actually been on a date."

"Oh." I glance up at Rose, who looks shocked. I quickly look away again, feeling embarrassed. "Hey, that's no big deal, don't worry," she assures me. "If you want, I can help you get ready? You can come to the Gryffindor common room, and Dani and I can help you out. And, you too, Eleanor."

"That sounds like a good plan," El says, nodding her head, brushing her hair behind her ear, which she does when she's getting ideas.

"Okay, I'm up for it," I decide, feeling somewhat better.

* * *

The two weeks pass faster than I care to admit. The Ravenclaw team list is up by Monday, and by the looks of it, we seem to have a decent team this year. Hopefully we'll be good enough to beat Gryffindor this year. Wednesday, I tutor James, who's actually putting in a lot of effort which surprises me. On Saturday morning, we have Quidditch training.

At first I feel a little embarrassed around Jason, as it's the first time I've seen him up close since he had asked me out. He acts as he usually does, and I have to remind myself that this is training, and of course, being captain, Jason's mind isn't going to be on our date the following week.

After training, I walk over to the changing rooms with Jenny.

Jenny is a close friend of Jason's so I'm not surprised when she brings up the date. "So, Jason told me he finally asked you out," she says, twisting the golden snitch around in her hand. Its wings flutter in between her fingers, anxious to be free from her grip.

"Finally?" I say, staring at her.

"Well, yeah," she replies, releasing the snitch, which whizzes around our heads. I try keep up with its movements, but they're much too quick for me. Jenny's hand reaches out, and grabs the tiny golden ball again. "He's been talking about doing it for a long time. I didn't think he'd ever do it."

I blink, startled by her words. "I never realized he liked me," I admit.

"For a Ravenclaw, you really don't notice much, do you?"

I laugh lightly, shrugging my shoulders. "I guess not," I agree, as we reach the doors of the changing rooms.

Inside, the room smells of sweat, masked slightly by deodorant, old clothes, and polished broomsticks. The smell doesn't sound delightful, but to me it's familiar, and it makes me feel almost safe. My eyes trail over to Jason, who's talking to a new chaser named Dade. I watch as his mouth curls into a smile, the way his eyes gleam, even in the dimness of the room. He crosses his arms, looking relaxed, his Captain demeanor gone now that training is over.

I feel a sudden burst of warmness in my stomach, which causes me to quickly look away.

I never thought of Jason that way before. Of course, like other girls, I did notice his attractiveness. I mean, I'm not a complete idiot. Despite that, I still never felt any way other than a friend towards him. Now, I'm not so sure. It's like I got hit by a bludger. Somehow, Jason seems different to me. I wonder if it's because I now know how he feels towards me. Of course, that often happens to people. One minute, you're just friends, the next...

I quickly change out of my training gear, feeling suddenly aware of my appearance. I don't want to pretend I'm one of those girls who never cares what they look like, I'm _not_. I care a lot about how I look. Now, it's all I can think about.

I feel my eyes train over to Jason again, feeling that same warmness I felt a moment ago.

How can you just suddenly feel different about a person one day? I've been thinking about him ever since he asked me out, if I'm being honest. I guess it wasn't just over one day. Still, it feels all of a sudden. These feelings have come out of nowhere.

I feel suddenly sick and anxious.

I grab my bag and exit the changing rooms as quickly as I can, the bathrooms being the only thought in my mind right now.

I jog through the grounds of Hogwarts, wanting to avoid as many people as possible. I zig-zag through the crowds of students, wanting to escape the crowd as soon as possible.

I'm thankful the girl's bathroom is on the first floor- well, the one I want to go to anyway.

I burst through the door. Inside is silent, bar the sound of water gurgling in some pipe. I can only assume it's Moaning Myrtle. I walk up to one of the sinks, and turn the faucet. My breathing is rapid. I splash cold water on my face.

I slide down onto the ground, leaning against my bag.

Oh, Merlin. It's okay to like someone, I remind myself. However, the thought of mutual feelings scares me. He likes me. I like him. He'll want to be in an actual relationship with me. A real relationship, which involves hand holding, and kissing. I stare down at my hands, which are usually clammy. Holy hippogriff, that's disgusting. He'll break up with me after a day. Not even a day.

Oh, Merlin's Beard. I bring my knees up to my chest, feeling sick. I can't do this. The thought of being in a relationship terrifies me. The thought that someone might actually want to be with me scares me so much. Why would anyone want to be with me, of all people? Why would _Jason _want to be with me? Maybe this is all a joke. I shake my head- Rose is right. Jason is a nice person. He'd never do something like that.

I try think of a poem, as I normally do, to calm myself down. My choice is Daffodils, for no particular reason other than enjoying the poem.

With effort, once my breathing is normal again, and I don't feel as though I'm going to throw up my breakfast, I pull myself to my feet.

It's just one date. It's not a big deal.

* * *

The week leading up to the date is much slower than the previous week. I've been struggling to sleep due to anxiousness, and food doesn't look at all desirable to me, no matter what it is.

By Friday, the day before the date, I feel like my insides have gnawed away themselves, because of nervousness and hunger. I can barely concentrate in class, and I hate to admit it, but I've also been avoiding Jason. When I get to the Ravenclaw common room, I head straight to the girls dormitory. Of course, as always, I eat at the Gryffindor table. I walk quickly through the halls, my gaze on the floor.

That last tactic isn't always so helpful, however.

As I head to Herbology on Friday, I see Jason and another seventh year boy walking in my direction, both of them in deep discussion. My stomach twists- I _hate _having crushes. I somehow think that by avoiding Jason, my crush on him will vanish. However, that just makes me think of him more, which is not what I wanted to happen.

I look to the ground, hoping he won't notice me. I pretend to rummage through my bag, looking for something non-existent.

I feel a hand touch my shoulder, and I know he's definitely noticed me.

I look up to him, a forced smile on my face. Will he notice it's forced? Oh, I hope not. "Hey, Jason," I say, trying to sound delighted to see him. Okay, so part of me is happy to see him, but the other part can't help but remember that this person likes me. I try not look into his eyes, because, Merlin, he has really nice eyes. Instead, I focus on a small freckle just below his eye. I wonder does Jason have any flaw- perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect eyes, perfect face. Why am I only thinking of all this recently? Jason has _always _looked this way.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his eyebrows pulling together as he frowns.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I lie quickly.

I'm aware of bodies pushing against us as we stand in the middle of the hallway. Some people narrow their eyes at us, because of us being in the way. Jason seems to notice this too, as he grabs my hand (which I'm super aware is probably clammy and gross, but he doesn't seem to mind), and leads me to the side of the hall, out of everyone's line of walking.

He's still frowning slightly. "You ran out of the changing rooms quickly last week at training," he notes, letting go of my hand. I fold my arms over each other, trying to hide my hands, as though that would help in some way.

"I felt sick," I admit, which is somewhat true.

He bites his lip, clearly thinking about something. I watch the crowds pass us, and I wonder if Professor Longbottom is in the greenhouse yet. I'm glad I have him right now, and not some other professor, because Longbottom is generally much nicer than the other teachers.

"Mia..." he begins, looking unsure. "If... if you don't want to go with me tomorrow on a date, you don't have to." He doesn't say it bitterly, or angrily. He almost sounds concerned for me.

I let out a breath, surprised by his words. I feel my eyes widen slightly. "No, no," I say quickly, knowing that's _not _what I want. "It's not..." I shake my head, feeling embarrassed. "I've... um, never been on a date before," I mumble quietly. "I'm just... nervous."

"Oh." I glance up at him, and he looks shocked by my words. I bite the inside of my mouth, my cheeks turning hot.

"I mean, I still want to go on a date with you," I tell him. "I'm just nervous."

He smiles. "Hey, we're just going to the Three Broomsticks," he reminds me. "It'll be fun. Don't worry about anything. I mean... we don't have to call it a date if that makes you nervous. We can just hang out."

The fact that he's trying to make me less nervous causes me to smile in return. "Well, I look forward to _just _hanging out tomorrow," I reply. "But I really have to get to class."

His eyes widen, and he looks up the hallway which has become emptier. "Me too," he says. "I'll meet you in the entrance hall tomorrow at twelve?"

I nod my head and we both quickly head to class.

* * *

"You're a traitor," James says, interrupting a conversation I was having with the girls the following morning. "Out of all the people you could go on a date with, you choose _Jason_?"

"How on earth does that make me a traitor?" I ask, looking at him confused.

He looks somewhat offended. "He's my nemesis!"

I look to Alex and Fred, both of whom just shrug in confusion. I notice that Alex is scowling into his breakfast, but I decide not to mention it. Merlin knows what's wrong with him. "James, Jason is not your nemesis," I say, shaking my head.

"Okay, firstly, he's the captain of my rival team-"

"Which I'm also on," I remind him.

"Yeah, but you're not the captain," he says, waving his hand dismissively. "Secondly, both of us are definitely the best looking in our year. But the unanswered question is, who's better looking?"

"Definitely Jason," I hear Rose mumble.

"That's a bit offensive, mate," Alex says, throwing a piece of his breakfast pancake at James. James avoids it narrowly.

James grins. "Don't worry, Alex, I still think you're hot," James assures him jokingly. "You too, Fred." He winks at them both, which causes both of them to roll their eyes.

"I still think you're an ugly git," Fred replies, taking the last of Alex's pancake.

This causes all of us to laugh. I don't even care that James is being a cocky idiot (hey, what's new?). Now that I'm less nervous about my date later, there's room for excitement to build up. There's the usual buzz around the castle as people get ready to get away from the castle grounds for awhile. Even the dark clouds looming over us can't destroy the excitement from us all.

"You're a traitor, because friends don't go on dates with their friends nemesis," James decides, finally.

"I totally don't mind being your nemesis if it means I get to go on a date with Jason," I say.

"You're going to lose a valuable friend."

"I wouldn't call you valuable, or a friend," I reply, smirking at him.

He purses his lips, trying to think of something to say to this. He huffs. "That's just bloody rude."

"To be honest, I'm not happy about you going on a date with Jason, either," Alex pitches in, still scowling into his new pancake. He purses his lips, pushing his breakfast away from him. He lets out a sigh. "I've known Jason since we were in first year- I don't like him."

"So?" I say angrily. "It's none of your business who I date. _Neither _of yours," I add, looking to James too. "_I _like Jason, so I don't give a rats arse what you two think of him, or if he's your nemesis."

"I'm your _brother_," Alex exclaims.

I glare at him, feeling angry. "You don't get a say in this because you're my brother- in fact, because you're my _brother_, this is a topic you should stay out of completely!"

"Well, I'm not your brother-"

"I swear to god, James, if you say one more word-"

"You three can bicker later," Rose says, standing up, tugging at my jumper. "We have to go get this one ready for her date."

I stop glaring at the two idiots and I stand up, leaving my half eaten porridge on the table. Those morons think they can tell me who I can and can't date? I huff, as we exit the Great Hall. Again, I find myself reminding myself that I'm not going to let them get to me this year. My eyebrows are still pinched together tightly as we enter into the Gryffindor common room.

Personally, I find the Ravenclaw common room more pleasing to look at than the Gryffindor common room. For starters, there's far fewer books than the Ravenclaw Common Room, which is what I notice first. The red is warm, and inviting however. I glance up to the ceiling, frowning when I notice the absence of the constellations which is my favourite feature in our Common room. An open fireplace dominates the room, and cackles loudly over the hum of talking students. As we pass through, I glance out one of the large windows which overlooks the Great Lake. The lake in the distance is silver, reflecting the clouds overhead. I notice tapestries on the walls, of many famous wizards and witches, and a large one depicting a lion.

Rose and Dani lead us up to the girls dormitory.

There's no one inside, thankfully.

"Your common room is so..." El begins, looking for the right word. "Cramped."

Rose and Dani glance to one another, raising their eyebrows. "It's comfy," Dani chides, not looking happy with Eleanor's comment.

I decide not to comment, though I agree with El partially. I find the Ravenclaw Common room much more open compared to the Gryffindor one. However, chances are you'll trip over a book once or twice in our common room.

"Anyway!" Rose says, before Eleanor can continue the conversation. "Are you excited?" This is directed at me.

I shrug, walking over to look at a photo on the wall beside what I assume is Rose's bed. It's a large photo of all the Weasley's and Potter's. I'm startled by the sea of red, bar a small few. They're all wearing knitted sweaters, which I know were knitted by Mrs Weasley. I had the luck to own a few pair of those myself, due to Alex's friendship with James. Luckily for me, Mrs Weasley likes me.

The picture moves, the family waving out at me. Rose stands in between Albus and her younger brother, Hugo. She ruffles his curly red hair, grinning out to me. Beside her, Albus laughs with James, which is somewhat shocking. Those two rarely get along. Their younger sister Lily is on James' back, waving out excitedly to the viewer. I find myself smiling contently at the photo, but part of me feels a sadness as I see the large family. Each one of them looks thrilled to be with one another, and I feel my chest tighten.

"Mia?" Eleanor calls, bringing me back to reality.

"What?" I ask, focusing my attention on them again.

"Do you want to get started?"

I nod my head, all my thoughts now on my date.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait guys! Also, this is gonna be split into two- part 2 is about the date, and some morons being, well, morons. **

**please review for more! **


	9. Chapter 9

**PART 2**

* * *

I open my eyes, quirking an eyebrow up. The girl that stares back at me actually looks... _nice_. I blink, startled momentarily by my own reflection. I mean, of course I wear makeup from time to time, but I was never great at doing it. Rose, on the other hand, is clearly great at it. She stands eagerly behind the mirror she holds in her hand, grinning widely at me.

"So?" Eleanor asks me, waiting for my verdict.

"Rose, you can do my makeup from now on," I tell her, smiling at her. I think of the poem, Beauty and Beauty, just for a split second, feeling for once that maybe I'm not so bad.

The clothes I have on are casual: a pair of jeans, a grey sweater, and my Ravenclaw scarf wrapped around my neck to protect me from the cold winds that howl loudly outside. By now, rain patters against the window, causing me to shiver. Staying indoors sounds much more welcoming right now, and I have to fight off that thought, otherwise I might just avoid going out.

I glance at my watch: 11:45. My eyes widen at how fast time has passed while Rose, Eleanor, and Dani helped me get ready. "I should go," I announce to them, my voice low and shaky from nerves.

"Have fun!" Dani says, wrapping an arm around me, in an awkward side hug. "My Mia is all grown up." She pretends to wipe away a tear, pressing her other hand to her heart.

I laugh, shaking my head. "See you guys later-"

"Okay, all of us are to meet up outside the painting of the Fat Lady at seven this evening!" Rose says, before I get a chance to leave. "We want to find out all the details of this date."

When everyone agrees, I head out by myself, walking quickly to the Entrance Hall.

...

Jason stands by the door, watching the crowd of students walk past him. His hands are tucked into the front pockets of his jeans, and he leans casually against the wall. As I stare at him, I notice that he looks a little... nervous. I feel myself becoming a little relieved- at least he's nervous, too. I approach him, forcing a smile onto my face, rather than the nervous frown I had been wearing.

When he finally notices me, he flashes a bright smile in my direction, the nervousness melting right off his face.

"Hi," I say awkwardly, standing in front of him.

"Hey," he replies, looking fondly down at me. I feel my face flush, hating myself for being so easily embarrassed. "You look nice," he comments.

I smile shyly, thanking him. "Um, should we... go?" I ask, unsure.

"Oh, yeah, of course." He stands closely beside me as we exit the Entrance Hall with the large crowd of other students. Each time his arm rubs up against mine, I feel a burst of butterflies in my stomach.

The cold hits me the moment we exit the crowd of students, and I bring my scarf up to cover my mouth. I cross my arms over my chest, tucking my hands under my arms to protect them from the cold. Jason rubs his hands together, frowning up at the dark clouds overhead. Rain splatters down, and I regret not wearing a jacket. Water seeps in through my sweater, the rain piercing my skin.

"I knew the nice weather wouldn't last," Jason says, looking down at me. "Hopefully the weather will be fine for the first match." The first match of the year is in two weeks, Gryffindor verses Slytherin. I find myself secretly rooting for Slytherin, still bitter about losing to Gryffindor last year in the finals. However, with James as captain of Gryffindor, I have my doubts about Slytherin winning against them.

"I don't know," I answer, "I mean, we are in Scotland. It's always cold up here."

He chuckles. "That's a fair enough point."

We walk the rest of the way, making small talk, trying hard to forget about the cold. Once we arrive at the Three Broomsticks, we find a small table, which, thankfully, is close to one of the fireplaces. Jason makes me sit down while he goes up to get our butterbeers. I bite my lip as I wait for Jason to return. I've never had butterbeer before- what if I don't like it? I've never drank something with alcohol in it, even if Butterbeer doesn't have much alcohol in it. I glance around at other tables around me, and notice that nearly everyone has Butterbeer on their tables. If not Butterbeer, than another beverage, which I assume is Firewhiskey.

Jason places my drink in front of me, and I stare at the yellow-orange liquid, a layer of cream on top of it. Curious, I lift the drink, discreetly smelling it while Jason settles himself into his seat across from me. It smells sweet, which surprises me. I expect it to smell bitter, which I thought all alcohol drinks were supposed to smell like.

I bring the cup to my lips, and allow a small bit to enter my mouth. I feel the cream on top brushing against the top of my lip. I'm shocked by the taste, which like the smell, is sweet. There's an almost sugary taste in my mouth. The liquid makes me feel warm inside, and I wonder if there's more alcohol in it than I thought. I decide not to overthink it, and lower my cup to the table, wiping my lip to rid it of cream.

"It tastes good," I remark.

"You've never had Butterbeer before?" Jason asks, lowering his own glass.

I shake my head. "I don't really do stuff that would involve drinking Butterbeer," I admit, cringing as I say it. I really know how to impress a guy.

He notices me cringe, and smiles softly. "Which is why you're one of the smartest students in the school," he reminds me. "Alcohol kills brain cells." I stare warily at my glass, which causes him to laugh. I realize I enjoy his laugh, and the feeling of joy it gives me. It's like, when he laughs, I feel suddenly better somehow. I wonder why I never thought of him much before recently. Before I knew he was interested in me.

"I'm not the smartest in the school," I say, deciding to drink more of my Butterbeer. He raises an eyebrow in question. "Albus Potter is incredibly smart."

Jason tilts his head slightly, a small frown on his face. He looks like he wants to say something, but decides against it. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Mia," he remarks.

I decide to change the subject, not entirely sure how to respond to that. "So, what do you plan to do after you leave Hogwarts?" I ask him, leaning my arms onto the table.

"Well, I hope to be recruited, if I'm being honest," he answers.

"You will be," I assure him.

"I'm pretty sure every team will be after James," he mumbles.

"Why?"

"Well, firstly, he's the son of-"

"The chosen one?"

Jason smiles, but shakes his head. "No, he's the son of Ginny Weasley," he says. "She was an amazing Quidditch player. The Holyhead Harpies are a great team."

"Thinking of trying out for them?" I joke.

He grins. "The first ever male on the Holyhead Harpies team- the ultimate dream." I laugh, enjoying Jason's company more and more. "Honestly though, Ginny Weasley is one of my favourite players," he admits. He sighs. "They'll also look for James to be on their team because he's one hell of a player."

I find myself looking at Jason, seeing the worry on his face. "Jason, you're just as good as he is," I tell him honestly.

He gives me a small smile, but I see the doubt in his eyes. He seems to search my eyes for any trace of a lie, but I _am _being honest. Both of them are great, in their own different ways. While James is fast, Jason is careful. Jason has a strategy for each match; James works on moves.

I lean in a little closer to Jason. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit."

"Hey, that's my line," Jason claims, but the doubt vanishes from his face.

"I say it better," I tease.

"Okay, I think you give yourself _too _much credit." We both drink the rest of our Butterbeer, feeling more upbeat now that we're warm, and I find myself wondering why on earth I was even slightly nervous for this date.

...

When the rain stops, Jason and I head to other shops, and my favourite of all, Honeydukes. The sweet shop is the most popular shop for students, most of them going straight in there the moment we are allowed to go to Hogsmeade. Luckily for Jason and I, it's not too packed. I find myself buying two boxes of Bertie Botts, a few Chocolate Frogs, and a couple of Liquorice Wands. Jason buys the same as I do, plus a few Sugar Quills.

We both open a packet of our Bertie Bott's as we head back to the castle.

Jason holds up a green bean. "What flavour do you think this one is?" he asks.

I think for a moment. "Mucus," I decide.

He pulls a face, throwing the bean into his mouth. He carefully bites it, then pulls a disgusted face. "Spinach," he explains.

"This one?," I ask, pulling out a red one.

"Blood," he jokes.

I scrunch up my face, hoping it's not. I pop the sweet into my mouth, and take a cautious bite. I smile. "Cherry."

"That's not fair- you should eat a disgusting one, too."

"Hey, it's not my fault you got unlucky."

He pulls out a black bean from his packet. "Try this one."

I shake my head. He begins to put the bean closer to my face, and I duck to avoid it. I laugh, not caring that people turn to look at us as we mess around. "It looks disgusting," I exclaim, avoiding his advance once again.

"_Exactly_," he replies, grabbing my hand.

I laugh again, trying to escape him. I shut my mouth, as he stands closer to me. However, this time he doesn't put the bean closer to my face. This time, he leans in, and presses his lips against mine. I feel a warmness grow inside my chest, my body still from shock. When I get over the shock, my heart begins to race, my mind cloudy.

His lips are soft against mine, and I can't seem to focus. I no longer care about the cold wind, or the fact that people are walking around us. I feel warm, and it feels like it's just the two of us. Surely time is passing, but it feels like the whole world has stopped in this moment. Nothing else matters to me.

When he pulls away, it takes me a moment to open my eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says in a hoarse whisper. "I shouldn't..."

I shake my head. "It's fine," I whisper, still wrapping my mind over what just happened. "That was better than trying that bean," I say lightly, suddenly feeling everything at once. I wonder if it felt as nice for him as it did for me. My hand rises to my lips- are they dry or chapped?

Jason is watching me carefully, and I feel my cheeks growing warm. "Are you okay?" he asks, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

I nod my head, smiling at him. "I'm great," I reply quickly.

"Sorry if that was out of line," he mumbles.

"It wasn't," I reassure him.

"Oh." I've never seen Jason look so flustered before, it makes me like him more.

We begin to walk back to Hogwarts, both of us standing close together, but not saying anything for a moment. I want to know what he's thinking- is he thinking that our kiss was awful? What does this mean between us? Okay, so obviously it means something, but does he want to go out? I feel a little lost, as I haven't been in a situation like this before.

"Mia," Jason begins. "You know I like you, right?" I nod my head, staring at him in wonder. "Well, do you... feel that way about me?"

I blink, surprised by his question. "Yes," I admit quietly.

He looks slightly relieved. "Okay. So, do you want to... go out with me?" He shakes his head. "Sorry, I'm not good at this."

I smile gently, this time taking his hand in mine. "I'm not either," I tell him. "And of course I will."

* * *

**X.X You know, any comment is appreciated... people don't seem to realize what a comment means to a writer. Please please let me know what you think, or if I should continue this!**

**Anyway, this is the first chapter I've wrote without James, Alex, or Fred making an appearance, I think!? **


	10. Chapter 10

"Spill everything!" Rose says, dragging me onto the couch beside her in the Gryffindor common room.

On the table in front of us are a pile of sweets which they bought in Honeydukes awhile ago. I add my own sweets to the pile. "It was fun," I say simply, shrugging my shoulders.

"Fun?" El asks, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. She knows when I'm holding back information.

I bite my lip. "Well... he may have kissed me, too," I admit quietly, blushing.

Dani, El, and Rose squeal in delight. "I knew it!" Dani says.

"Was he good at kissing?" Rose asks, nudging me with her elbow.

"I don't exactly have anything to compare it to," I tell her sheepishly. "But, yeah." I smile. "He asked me out."

Eleanor's eyes widen. "Did you say yes?"

I nod my head, biting my lip.

Rose jumps up excitedly. "This is cause for celebration," she announces, running up the narrow stairs to the girls dormitory. I look to the other girls, who also look as confused as I do. Moments later, Rose dashes back down to us, holding a large jar in her hand. I look at the jar, and see Butterbeer written on it.

I recall a faint taste of Butterbeer off of Jason, and I grin. She places out small cups in front of us, and begins to pour us each a glass.

"What are we celebrating, ladies?" Alex asks, sitting down on the armchair, joining us. He looks to Rose, raising an eyebrow. She simply smiles and pours him a glass. A few seconds later, James and Fred join us as well, who also get a glass of Butterbeer.

"We're just celebrating friendship," Rose obviously lies.

James narrows his eyes at his cousin. "No, what are you _really _celebrating?"

She looks at me, smiling, before taking a sip of her drink. This causes the boys to look at each of us suspiciously. We all take a drink from our glasses; I feel somewhat ecstatic and part of me wants to announce to them that I now have a boyfriend. However, I think of earlier and how Alex had reacted to me going on a date with Jason.

Plus, who wants to discuss this stuff with their brother, anyway?

"And does Hermione know you took this?" Fred asks, nodding to the bottle of Butterbeer.

"She'll be fine without the Butterbeer," Rose says, waving off his question. "It's not like they ever drink the stuff, anyway."

Fred simply shrugs, drinking his drink.

"So, what else did you guys do on your date?" Rose continues on, not caring that the guys are now sitting with us.

I peer over at them. Alex is pursing his lips, still not happy with my decision to go on a date with Jason. Wait until he finds out Jason and I are going out now... yikes. Fred looks somewhat interested in the conversation, but looks anxiously at Alex, waiting for him to blow up about my decision. James sips away at his Butterbeer, looking bored already. For a moment I see him look somewhat coldly at Rose, and I wonder did something happen while I was at Hogsmeade.

I tell them about the date, and where we went around Hogsmeade. I avoid the topic of us kissing, and the fact that we're now a couple. I'm sure news will spread fast, as it always does in Hogwarts. For a massive castle, news tends to travel quickly.

"So, are you going to go on another date soon?" Dani asks, giving me a knowing smile.

"Well, he asked me to come to the Slytherin and Gryffindor match with him," I reply, smiling.

"You'll be supporting Gryffindor, won't you?" James asks, finally interested in the conversation.

I look to him, shrugging. "Probably not," I admit, giving Dani and Rose an apologetic look. "No offense, of course, but I'm not over last year, and... Well, Jason is hoping Slytherin will win, too. So, it would be odd if went together and didn't root for the same team, I think."

James rolls his eyes, but it's Alex that replies. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he groans.

"Can you guys _please _leave for a little while?" I beg, my neck burning from embarrassment.

"It's our common room," James reminds me.

"So," Rose pipes up, "on a scale of one to ten, how great was Jason at snogging, Mia?"

I look to Alex, my eyes widened in alarm. He looks suddenly uncomfortable with where the conversation is heading, so I look back to Rose. She looks at me, slowly nodding her head to egg me on. I catch her drift, and smile. "I'd give him a ten out of ten," I answer.

"And he's _so _good looking," Eleanor sighs.

"His eyes are beautiful," Dani declares, also letting out a sigh.

"Okay, okay, we're not wanted," Alex says. He stands up, but looks at me. "Mia, I'm telling you right now, you can do better than Jason." With that, Alex storms off.

"Why does he keep saying that?" I ask Fred and James before they can leave.

Fred looks in the direction which Alex left, his lips tugged into a frown. "He probably has his reasons." Fred sounds like he knows more than he's letting on, but he doesn't say anything else. I glance to James, who simply shrugs.

I let out a long sigh when they leave to follow Alex. Maybe Alex does have his reasons; the thought fills me with some doubt, but I push those thoughts away. I'm not going to let what Alex thinks of someone get in my way. I like Jason, and he likes me. He's nice to me. I don't see why what Alex has to say should effect how I feel about Jason. Plus, Alex is obviously hiding something from me, which makes me suspicious.

I mean, I know Alex and I haven't been as close as we used to be in recent years, but we told each other nearly everything. Lately, he seems to have drifted further away than usual. Growing up with a small family, you become close. You know things about one another. Whenever I used to have my nightmares, I used to go running to Alex. Now, I feel like I can't talk to him about it anymore.

Maybe Alex has a decent reason, but right now, I don't care.

* * *

That night, I wake up panting from another nightmare- _flashback_.

I stare into the darkness, my eyes burning from tears that threaten to flow down my face. Why _now? _I purse my lips, glancing out the window. The moon melts in and out from between the clouds, the distant forest looking eerie in the darkness. I sit up, finding it hard to breathe. I try to forget what happened to me when I was younger, but it's hard to forget when it haunts your dreams at night.

I wonder does Alex still think of dad often. Does he think I overreact? Has he told anyone what happened to our father? Even I haven't worked up the courage to tell anyone about our father and how he died.

I can imagine the conversation, though:

_"So, what happened to your dad?"_

_"Oh, yeah, he killed himself and I found his body when I was nine years old."_

_Queue awkward silence, and pitying looks._

No, that's not a conversation I want to have with anyone. I pull myself out of bed, wishing I could go to Alex and talk to him, but knowing I can't. I consider telling him in private tomorrow, but decide against it. As if Alex wants to talk about that.

I wipe away my tears, lowering my feet to the cold wooden floor. I search under my bed, quietly pulling out my trunk. Everything sounds so loud in the quietness, that every single sound causes me to pause, holding my breath. Finally, I open my trunk, taking out the journals stacked on top of my clothes. I sit back on my bed, flicking through the many poems I had copied down, and quotes I loved from plays, or novels. Things that made me feel something.

My breathing begins to return to normal once I reach the sonnets section in my journal. My fingers trace over one line in one of Shakespeare's Sonnets:_ 'To love that well, which thou must leave ere long'. _

Closing the journals, I place them on my nightstand, feeling a little better. Cautiously, I close my eyes, hoping that sweet dreams will find me, instead of the dream that haunts my nights.

...

On Sunday morning, as I head down to the Great Hall, Jason catches up with me, taking my hand in his. I feel my heart flutter, but I also wonder does he find my hands gross. I mean, due to anxiousness, they are often sweaty, and the last time I checked, that's not very attractive. However, like the last time he took my hand, he doesn't seem to care.

I smile down at our intertwined hands, and then find myself smiling up at him. Merlin, I'm so lucky to have him, and it hasn't even been twenty four hours.

"You look tired," he notes, looking worried. "Is everything okay?"

My smile vanishes, but I force it back quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lie. "I was just up going over some homework for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

He doesn't look like he believes me, but he doesn't push me. "So, seeing as we didn't get to train yesterday morning, I was thinking we could do it Wednesday evening? I mean, the pitch is free that day-"

"I can't," I tell him. I remember my promise to James, about not telling anyone I tutor him. So, instead I make up a partially true lie. "I tutor a fifth year on Wednesdays."

He frowns. "Oh." He thinks for a moment. "I could see about Monday, I guess, but the pitch seems pretty booked out... Bloody Gryffindors and Slytherins have it booked out for extra training before their match."

"I could ask to reschedule with the fifth year," I suggest.

Jason shakes his head. "We'll figure something out."

As we head to the hall, I notice a few people looking at us. Everybody loves gossip, it seems. Some of the girls begin whispering, and I feel suddenly self conscious. I can almost imagine what they're saying: "_he's going out with _her?!"

Plus, there's not much to talk about around Hogwarts, so all gossip is good gossip.

Jason absent-mindedly rubs his thumb on my hand, which makes me feel better.

Before we get to the Entrance Hall, I see Alex approaching us alone. I feel my heart speed up, knowing from the look on his face that this won't be a nice meeting. His eyes are narrowed at Jason, who doesn't look at all phased. For a moment, he looks coldly towards Alex, but he quickly changes his expression to neutral.

When Alex reaches us, he folds his arms, not even acknowledging me. Part of me expects Jason go let go of my hand, but he doesn't. Instead, he holds it s little tighter, almost protectively.

"Jason," Alex greets him, his voice low and almost angry.

Jason sighs, and I feel somewhat confused. Had something happened between the two of them? Something I don't know about?

"I'm going to assume you're here to talk to me?" Jason guesses, raising an eyebrow.

"Good guess," Alex grumbles. "But I want to talk to you alone." Finally, Alex looks at me, and I'm startled by the anger in his eyes. I know he didn't want me to go out with Jason, but I hadn't expected this hostility from him.

"I'll see you later," Jason says to me, his voice now soft and gentle again. He kisses my forehead, which makes my face turn red. Really? In front of Alex? I look cautiously to my brother, whose jaw is clenched.

For a moment I consider not leaving, as Alex looks ready to murder, but Jason gives my hand a squeeze to reassure me.

Feeling confused, I leave them both. I head into the Great Hall, and head straight over to the Gryffindor table. My mind is replaying what just happened, but I feel more and more lost the more I think about it.

"Are you two sure you don't know what happened between Jason and Alex?" I ask James and Fred the moment I sit down.

"No," James says, chewing on toast. "Why?"

"He wants to talk to Jason alone, and he looks ready to kill," I explain, feeling too worried to eat anything. I keep glancing at the door, ready to run at the first sound of trouble.

"Hey, don't worry," James says softly. "Jason will be fine."

I bite my lip, something that's become a habit of mine recently. I wonder what Alex is saying to Jason- he doesn't seem like someone to give any boyfriend I might have the "brother talk". Alex never mentioned Jason much before, so I wonder if he's only acting as a brother should. However, this feels out of character for Alex.

I drum my fingers on the table, when the sound of wings, and hooting gathers my attention.

Owls of every colour come swooping into the Great Hall, dropping packages and letters onto tables in front of their owners. Our owl drops down three letters, and the Daily Prophet, which sparks my interest. I notice two letters for Alex, one addressed in handwriting I don't recognize.

I give the owl a treat, and watch as she flies out of the Great Hall.

I open the letter for me, knowing it's from my mother.

She wishes me well, agreeing to let my Friends stay for the Christmas Break. I smile, wishing I could talk to her in person. I wonder if I should tell her about Jason, wondering if there's a time limit between when you start going out, and when you tell your mother or father that you have a boyfriend. I choose to wait a little bit longer, just in case.

Alex sits down next to me, bringing me out of my thoughts. I glare at him. "Care to tell me what that was about?" He gathers the two letters into his hands, not opening them. He looks at the letters as though they did something wrong go him.

"Why don't you ask your bloody boyfriend," Alex snaps, causing us all to stare at him in surprise.

"Stop being a git," I grumble through gritted teeth.

"Whatever," he replies.

Fred stands up. "Alex, let's go for a walk," he says in a voice, letting Alex know that this wasn't a suggestion.

Sighing, Alex stands up, and follows Fred out of the hall. I look over to the Ravenclaw table, searching for Jason.

"Your boyfriend didn't come in," James tells me. "Where's the other girls?"

"At the lake, I think," I tell him. "I told them I'd join them later. If not there, they said they'd be in the Gryffindor common room."

"Why didn't you stay with them last night?" he asks. "El stayed."

I shrug, but I remember my nightmare, knowing full well it's the reason I decided not to stay. I hadn't told them about it yet, and I worry that they'll be awake when I wake up in fright. I don't want them to see me crying.

"Do you want to look for Jason?" James suggests.

I shrug my shoulders. "I... I don't know," I admit in a whisper. "I feel like all of this is my fault. I don't want them to hate each other."

"Look, you know Alex," James replies, "he probably has a good reason for being this way." He pushes his empty bowl away from him. "Now, come on, let's go to the lake. It's a nice morning, and it's actually _dry _out. Gotta enjoy it while we have it."

I agree, and James gathers up the mail he received, still left untouched.

Together, the two of us exit the hall. I find myself peering over heads in hopes of seeing Jason around. I want to know what happened between Jason and Alex, but I feel as though it's a topic neither of them wants to discuss with me.

As we walk in silence, James begins to open his letters.

He lets out a delighted sound from his mouth, and I look over at him. "They're getting married, finally!" James says happily.

"Who?"

"Teddy and Victorie! I mean, I know they had been planning it, but now they're actually doing it- on Christmas Day? Cool!" James reads over the invitation, looking really happy for his cousin.

I recall the second letter Alex had gotten this morning, and glance to the envelope still in James' hand. The same handwriting is sprawled across it. Well, of course Alex was invited I suppose. He is basically like family to them.

Still, I feel a little envious. I love weddings so much. I've only been to one, for a distant family member I haven't seen since the wedding almost ten years ago.

"They're so cute together," I say, pointing to the picture on the card. Teddy and Victorie smile out at the viewer, both looking in love and happy.

"They're great together," James says quietly. He opens the second letter and his eyes widen in shock. "Teddy wants me to be a groomsman!"

I smile at him. "Congratulations, James," I reply.

He pauses for a moment to read the rest of the letter, the smile never fading from his face. "He tells me to bring someone," James says. He looks up at me. "You fancy coming to a wedding with me?" he asks me.

I blink, surprised. "Wait- what?"

James shrugs. "I mean, they already know you so there's no awkward introductions, and he told me he invited Alex. I can ask them to invite your mum, too. It is Christmas day, after all."

"Oh," I say, still a little surprised. "Sure, I guess."

"You don't have to," he reassures me. "But, I just..." He trails off, not sure how to finish that sentence. "It'll be fun." He shrugs his shoulders, looking a little embarrassed. It's really rare to see James looking embarrassed.

"No, I'd love to," I reply. "I love weddings."

James smiles at me, looking happy with my response. A second later, his eyes flick to something over my shoulder, and his smile vanishes.

I glance behind me, and see Jason walking towards us. He looks a little troubled, but other than that, he looks fine. I feel relief flow through me when I see him, glad to see he's okay.

"I'll see you later," James says. "I should go look for Alex and Fred."

He gives a nod in salute to Jason as he passes him. Jason reaches me, and I raise an eyebrow.

"What was that about?" I ask him.

He takes my hand, pulling me closer to him. He shakes his head. "Nothing to worry about, it's sorted," he tells me. When I don't respond, he smiles. "He was just giving me the brother talk."

I smile, trying to imagine Alex giving anyone the brother talk. "As long as it's okay now," I reply. "Alex looked ready to murder you."

Jason kisses my nose, and I grin. "Trust me, it's okay now." He presses his lips to mine, and I feel myself relax. However, a small part of me doubts what he told me. I've never seen Alex look so mad before.

It's hard to focus on that, though, while Jason kisses me.

* * *

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! I really appreciate them! They really motivate me to write- and also, I'm gonna reply to your questions here, seeing as a good few of you are guests! **

* * *

**Guest (1): Aha, you'll have to wait and see if he's jealous or not! Thanks for the review:) **

**lifeismorethanaprettyface: I really enjoy writing Jason and Mia, if being honest, but I have not-so-fun plans for their future :P And also, Carter will be making an appearance soon, so don't worry! I just haven't found the most suitable situation to add him into, yet. He was supposed to make an appearance in the previous chapter, but I cut that scene out. And yeah, Mia's dreams are reoccurring, sadly! Thanks for reviewing :D**

**Guest (2): I have plans for Jason and Mia, which may or may not shock you, depending on how deeply you're reading into this story (and this chapter in particular). I really can't wait to get to the future chapters, because I have them all planned out and I think it's quite a plot twist... maybe. **

**Yay for Jia: I think everyone is rooting for Jia, so don't worry :P #Jiasislife**

**Cara Lavender: Oh my gosh, that is such a kind thing to say! I'd recommend other next gen stories, but they're far better than mine! (if you'd like the names, though, you can message me?). **

**Guest (3): A fight between Mia and Alex is sort of beginning in this chapter... It's a slow build up, I guess. But there's definitely tension there right now! Thanks for the comment :) **

* * *

**Please review for more! **

**xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Time Together**

"This is really good," I say, lowering the parchment onto the table.

James looks both surprised, and delighted by my response to his essay. "And people say you can't have good looks and brains," James says, taking back his essay from me, looking immensely proud of himself. Part of me is proud of him, too. He's not a massive idiot, it would appear. However, his cockiness causes me to scowl, and him to smirk at my scowl.

"Don't get too full of yourself," I tell him, folding my arms. "It's really good, for _you_," I correct myself. This causes him to pout, which makes me smirk. "Look, it _is _a decent essay, but it's still only at passing standard, I'd say."

He lets out a long groan. "I'm going to do terribly in my NEWTs," he moans, leaning his head onto the table. "The whole world will know that Harry Potter had at least _one _dumb kid."

He sounds so upset by the thought, that I feel immediately sorry for him. It can't be easy having the world watching your every more. "By the time we're finished, you'll be coming out with an O in potions," I say encouragingly. He looks up at me, looking tired. I sigh. "Let's leave it at that, will we?"

This perks him up a little, and he begins to pack away his stuff. "Can you believe it's already October?" James says, stretching his arms behind him, stifling a yawn.

"The school year goes quickly," I reply, packing away my own things.

James watches me as I stand up, stretching my own arms. "So, what are you going to do now?" He asks me, shouldering his bag.

"I'm not sure," I answer, shrugging my shoulders. "I have all my homework done for tomorrow, and honestly, I'm sick of the library right now."

"Want to go to the lake?" he suggests.

"It's raining," I remind him as we exit the library together. A few people glare at us for talking so loudly in the library, and I give them an apologetic look as we leave. "And, it's a bit cold out, isn't it?"

James grabs my hand, which shocks me. He drags me into a corner, peering around him for anyone. When he makes sure we're alone, he looks back to me with a grin on his face. "Okay, I'm going to show you something, but you can _not _say a word of it to anyone."

I squint at him, not sure whether I should agree or not. Feeling too curious, I nod my head.

He pulls out a worn piece of parchment from his bag, and I stare at it, wondering what it is. He takes out his wand, too, and I raise an eyebrow.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispers, tapping his wand to the blank parchment.

I look up at him, but he nods down at the parchment, so I glance back at it. I let out a gasp when I see writing beginning to appear on the once blank parchment. Upside down, I only catch a glimpse of the words: _Moony, Marauders, _and _Prongs_, before James opens up the parchment. My eyes widen, and I look up to him once again.

"A map?"

"Not just any map," he tells me. He points down to shoe shapes on the map. "This map was created by my grandfather and his mates. It tells me where every person on Hogwarts Grounds is. Look-" He points down to two shapes by the library, and I notice my name beside one of the shoe shapes, which are close to James' name on the map.

"Merlin, that's wicked!" I exclaim, leaning in closer to the map. "Look, it's Eleanor in the Ravenclaw common room!" I say, pointing down to El's name. "James, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

"I thought you might like it," he says, folding the map back up. He taps it again with his wand, whispering, "Mischief managed," causing the map to become blank again. "However, I didn't show it to you to get praise," he explains. "The map also shows several secret passageways, some of which lead to Hogsmeade."

"Okay?" I say unsure.

"One leads straight into Honeydukes," he explains further. "Mia, I'm asking you if you want to go into Honeydukes?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "Like, break in?" I ask, worried.

"Merlin, no," James replies, shaking his head. "No, no. The owner knows me. Because my dad's famous, he lets me come in whenever I want- as long as I pay, of course. He's a nice guy, actually."

I bite my lip. Adrenaline courses through my body- that would be breaking a _lot _of school rules. Merlin knows the trouble we could get into if we were caught. I drum my fingers restlessly against my leg, deciding my answer. "We're to be back before curfew," I warn him.

His face breaks into a wide smile. "Of course. Wouldn't want to break any school rules, now would we?"

...

I follow James up to the Gryffindor tower, as he said he had to get some stuff. He tells me to follow him into the common room, and when I hesitate, he beckons me to follow him up to the boys dormitory.

"I never got why the girls stairs is cursed," he says, opening the door to the boys dorm. "I mean, shouldn't both be cursed? Some girls are _weird_." He heads over to an unmade bed, and he begins rummaging under it. I look around the room, feeling weird about being in the boys dormitory- feeling weirder that I'm with _James _in the Gryffindor boys dormitory.

I begin to look at some of the pictures he has hung up on the wall beside his bed. The first thing I notice is that some of them aren't moving. I notice a lot of scenic shots, each of them beautiful and captivating. The second thing I notice is a picture of James and I from when we were younger- it was a summer where Ginny had invited us over for dinner. It was so hot out that day, and we decided to have a water balloon fight, a very fun muggle game.

There's other photos, too, of James with people. Like Rose, James has a picture of the entire Weasley-Potter family hung up, too. However, my focus returns to the picture of James and I.

James has his arm slung over my shoulder, both of us soaking wet, laughing out at the camera. I find a smile creep up on my face as I stare at the picture. Sometimes I do enjoy James' company.

"That was a fun day," James says from behind me, startling me. He follows my gaze to the picture, smiling as well.

"It was the day I realized you weren't a complete prat," I tease.

"Ha ha, very funny," he replies, rolling his eyes. "It was also the day I realized you actually knew how to have fun." I make a face at him and he laughs.

"Who took these other photos?" I ask him, pointing to the scenic photographs, most of which don't move.

"I did," he tells me.

I look at him surprised. His face reddens, and he rubs the back of his neck. "They're beautiful," I tell him. "You have a good eye."

He shrugs his shoulders, his face still red. "It's just a stupid hobby," he mumbles.

"James, don't be silly," I scold him. "They're really great!"

He doesn't reply, shoving, what appears to be two robes, into his bag, after taking out all his school stuff. "Let's get going, shall we?" he says.

...

I think of telling the girls about this passageway on our first day back in seventh year, as part of our annual sneak around Hogwarts on the first day back, but decide against it. Although plenty of people probably do know of this passageway, it feels like a secret between James and I. I think of the map that he showed me, and I wonder when James began to trust me with something like that. When did he decide I was trustworthy?

The passageway is long and cramped, and even small talk is difficult. James crouches ahead of me, less phased than I am about the cramped passage. Slowly, the passageway begins to open up after what feels like hours.

"Does Alex tell you everything?" I ask him when I have room to stand up.

"Odd question," James notes. "But, nah. Probably not." He looks to the ground, frowning. "Honestly, lately, I feel like Alex and Fred don't want me around anymore."

I'm shocked by the sadness and hurt in his voice. "Of course they want you around, James," I tell him. "You mean a lot to Alex. Even a blind man could see that much." I laugh to myself. "Honestly, you can't have James without Alex. You two are a package deal."

He lets out a loud breath. "Neither of them tell me anything anymore, and they always..." He sighs. "Never mind. I'm being stupid." He stops, looking at me. "We're here anyway."

He holds up his wand which had been our source of light as we walked through the passage. I notice a ladder leading up to a trap door. James, without hesitation, begins to climb up, opening the door which lets out a long groan. It's definitely been awhile since its hinges saw any oil, anyway. I follow James when he reaches the top, holding the trap door open for me. He holds out his hand to help me up, and I take it.

When the two of us wipe ourselves down, we hear the creaking of stairs, and the banging of heavy footsteps.

"Ah, Mr Potter!" says an old man, appearing at the bottom of the stairs, who I recognize to be the owner of Honeydukes. "Pleasure to see you as always."

"Hey, Mr Flume," James replies.

"I see you've brought a new friend," Mr Flume says, smiling at me.

"I had to prove I have friends besides Fred and Alex," James answers with a grin. "This is Mia Johnson."

"Lovely to meet you," I say, shaking Mr Flume's hand.

"Johnson, eh?" he says. I nod my head. "Alex's sister I assume?" Again, I nod my head. "I knew your parents, I did. Nice folks. I attended your fathers funeral, too. I was deeply saddened when I 'eard he had passed away." He shakes his head lowly. "I always had great time for your parents. How is your mother these days? It's been awhile since I've seen her."

"Oh, she's been pretty busy with the ministry," I tell him, not expecting to be having a conversation with Mr Flume.

"I suppose you two didn't come to chat to an old man like myself," he says, clapping his hands together. "My wife is upstairs, Mr Potter. She'll serve you both." He nods to me. "Wonderful to meet you Ms Johnson."

We say farewell to Mr Flume, and head up the creaky stairs. The room upstairs is a massive contrast compared to the storage basement. The walls are bright, lit up by the evening light. No one else is inside, so I assume the store is closed for the night. Mrs Flume greets us like it's the most natural thing in the world.

"Pick what you want," James tells me. "It's all on me."

"No, James, you don't have to-"

"I know," he interrupts me. "I want to."

For a moment, I can't help but stare at James. He's changed a lot since this summer alone. Although still cocky, he's become considerably nicer to me in the last few weeks. It's almost refreshing, if I'm being honest.

I begin to browse through the sweets, deciding on a few sugar quills, as they're not too expensive. James comes over to me with a random assortment of sweets, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Do you want to come up to the common room when we get back?" he asks me.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you actually want to hang out with me," I joke, although it's somewhat true.

"I like being with you," he says simply. "But I also like teasing you, too" he adds as an afterthought. "It kind of evens out, I guess."

"Naturally," I say. I place my sweets onto the counter next to James' pile. "And, sure, why not?"

He pays, and both of us leave after saying goodbye to Mrs Flume, and Mr Flume once again.

The journey back to Hogwarts seems much quicker than when we were leaving.

"So, any updates on getting with Claudia?" I ask him, hating the cramped space in the passage. My knees scrape the floor, and I wince, hating the girls uniform suddenly. I stop for a moment to pull up my socks, which barely cover my knees. The passage is warm, making it harder to breathe as we travel. Merlin, I never want to go through this passageway again.

"Nah," James replies, sighing. "I've given up on Claudia."

"Why?"

"Not my type," he huffs, pulling himself off of the floor as the passageway widens.

He helps me up off of the ground as we near the exit.

"_You_ have a _type_?"

He brushes his hand through his hair, and in the darkness I see his face grow pink. "So, uh, how's things with Jason?" he asks, deliberately changing the subject. He pauses for a second to peer out of the exit to see if anyone is around. When it's safe, we both quickly exit the passageway, back into Hogwarts castle. I feel a small bit relieved to be back in the castle- small places aren't my favourite.

"They're great," I say, smiling. "I mean, once you get over girls whispering: _Why did he lower his standards and go out with her? _Yeah, once you get over that, it's wonderful."

"Jason didn't lower his standards," James says, making a face. I stare at him, and then, my hand flies up to feel his forehead. He blinks in surprise, and then grabs my wrist to pull my hand away from his face. "What, in Gryffindor's name, are you bloody doing?" he exclaims, looking surprised.

"Are you _feeling _okay?" I ask him, feigning a voice of worry. "Are you sick? Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?"

"What are you talking about?" He squints his eyes, looking confused at me.

"You're being nice to me," I say.

"Maybe you've only started to realize how nice I actually am," James suggests.

"No," I reply. "No, this is definitely a recent thing."

"Whatever," he says, but he doesn't sound annoyed. He grins. "You should appreciate the new me."

"I do," I tell him honestly.

His smile falters, a little surprised by my response. As we pass by large windows, I notice it's still bright outside- I glance to my watch, noticing it's only gone past eight, which shocks me. I thought we had been gone longer. I mean, I know we finished our tutor session early, but still. Being in that cramped space must have been shorter than it felt.

I also notice, as I stare outside, that the rain has stopped.

"Hey, still want to go to the lake?" I ask him. "I want to check out that map of yours again."

"But what if it begins to rain again?" He glances up at the dull, grey clouds looming overhead warily.

"We sit under the Willow tree," I tell him. "It blocks out the rain."

After agreeing with me, the two of us head down to the lake. No one else is around, and luckily for us, the grass under the tree is dry. I sit down, and James passes me my sweets from his bag, taking out some chocolate frogs for himself. He places one of them onto my lap, and after a moment of bickering about whether or not I should take the frog (honestly, I find it hard to accept gifts sometimes), I accept it gratefully.

The lake ripples in the wind, and in the distance, I see the tentacle of the Giant Squid. No one knows why, out of all creatures, there's a Giant Squid in the lake. Most people suspect Hagrid has something to do with it. The half-giant groundskeeper, and professor for Magical Beasts classes, has a fascination with magical creatures. There's a rumour around the school that he once had a pet dragon named Norbert.

Honestly, if he did, I'm not surprised.

James takes out his map, and after tapping his wand to it, he opens it up to reveal the secrets of the enchanted map.

He passes it to me, not at all phased by the map. Instead, he busies himself with the frog, allowing it to hop around his hand for a little bit.

I glance over familiar names, wanting to stare at the map forever.

My eyes find Jason's name, and I watch it for a few minutes, as he sits in the boys dormitory. After a few minutes, he leaves the boys dormitory, and joins a couple of his friends in the common room.

My eyes scan over the map, and I find Eleanor's name- she's in the Gryffindor common room, once again, with Dani and Rose.

My eyes trail away from them, and my eyes find my brothers name in the Clock Tower, standing in a corner with-

I close the map quickly, my face feeling warm.

"T-that map is pretty fascinating," I say to James, passing it back to him.

Oh, Merlin. Okay, maybe they were just... talking? I shake my head at how stupid that thought is. Of course they're not talking- one: why would they stand in a corner to talk? And, two: they were pretty close together, if I'm being honest. They most certainly were not talking.

I look to James, who had been wondering why Alex was so distant lately. Merlin, wait until he finds out.

All I know is, I really need to have a talk with my brother.

* * *

**I really wanted to write a chapter of just James and Mia- I think you can pretty much see a development between them both. And, a little bit of character growth for James. I had this chapter, with them sneaking off to Honeydukes, planned for a really long time and I'm happy I finally got to write it :3**

**Also, if you guys want to follow me on tumblr, my URL for my main blog is: blsexualgansey, and my Harry Potter sideblog URL is: thegoldensquad. So, if you have any questions, you can ask me on one of those?**

**Anyway, replies to questions:**

* * *

**Cara Lavender: Questions to that will be answered in future chapters! Especially focusing on Jason and Alex's conversation. It is a major part of my plot, actually! **

**Yay for Jia: Thank you :D**

**Lifeismorethanaprettyface: You'll find out in future chapters- it's very important, tbh! Also, Rose knows all. Alex... is a bit complicated. He's just going through some stuff, which you'll find out in the next chapter, or the chapter after, depending. **

**swiftieunite: Thanks :) **

**Guest: Tension is the best :P Also, drama is p great, especially in stories! Hope you liked this chapter:) **


	12. Chapter 12

**Secrets Untold**

I stare off into space, the following morning at breakfast. For the second time this year, I sit at the Ravenclaw table, agreeing to eat breakfast with Jason. I tug at my lip with my fingers, my eyes trailing over to the Gryffindor table. How had I not seen it before? I frown, trying to remember hard the last few weeks- however, I don't remember much involving Alex and Fred. Have I really been that self involved?

I recall the train to Hogwarts at the beginning of the year, and how Fred had looked like he wanted to say something to me before James and Alex came in. Maybe he wanted to admit he's been snogging my brother? I feel stupid at the thought- I had a crush on Fred, and while I did, he probably had a major crush on my brother. Merlin, that's a weird situation to be in.

I wonder why Alex hasn't told me he's gay. Perhaps it's why he's been distant lately. Is he afraid I'll judge him? I know a lot of people don't accept gays, for some reason, but Alex is my brother. I love him, even if he does annoy me half the time. I would never turn my back on him because he's gay.

"You don't actually have to sit with us," Jason says, following my gaze to the Gryffindor table.

"What?" I look at him, surprised. I had been so involved in my thoughts that I forgot where I am. "Oh. No. Sorry, I was thinking about something." I smile at him. "I want to sit with you, anyway."

Jason looks pleased at this, his eyes twinkling. "So, up for some training tonight?" he asks me.

"Yeah, of course," I reply, eating my breakfast.

"It'll just be the two of us," he tells me, looking at me with a grin, and a suggestive look.

I feel my face grow warm, part of me wanting to flirt back with him, the other part feeling too embarrassed to even flirt with my own boyfriend. I shove his chest, and he laughs, probably at how red my face is.

"You get so flustered," he says. I scowl at him. "It's cute," he reassures me. My scowl disappears, but my face is still red. He gives me a quick kiss, which lightens my mood. He lifts up my hand, and looks at my watch. He pouts, which makes him look cute. "I have to go." He stands up, gathering his belongings. "You heading to class?"

I shake my head. "I have a free period," I tell him.

He kisses me again, leaving me alone at the Ravenclaw table. Again, I look towards the Gryffindor table. I notice how close Fred and Alex sit, wondering how I never noticed before. They act so casual, no one would notice unless they knew.

I watch as Alex stands up, and while he walks away, I gather my own things and Chase after him. I look at my watch- I have ten minutes to talk to him. I thought I could leave it until after classes ended, but if seems too important to leave.

"Alex!" I call, finally reaching him in the Entrance Hall. He seems to be heading out of the castle, probably for Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid.

He swirls around, looking for the caller, until his eyes rest on me.

"Hey, Mia," he says. He's obviously not so mad with me anymore, but I still hesitate before I begin to talk with him. What if this causes him to be mad at me again?

I let out a deep breath, deciding it's now or never. "So, I was hanging out with James last night," I begin.

"You and James hung out?" he asks, looking amazed. "And you two didn't kill each other?"

"I know, right? We're sort of friends now, I guess- anyway, that's not the point," I say, shaking my head. "He mentioned that you and Fred don't seem to want him around anymore."

Alex makes a face. "That's bloody stupid," he says. "James is my best mate, of course we want him around."

"I suppose you and Fred must spend a lot of time together to make him feel this way," I suggest obviously.

Alex narrows his eyes at me, his face turning a little pale. "Mia, what's your point?"

I stare at him, and him back at me. Something in his eyes suggests to me that he just wants me to say it and get out of the way, but I also see a little fear in them too. I feel a little sad that he's afraid of my reaction.

"Alex..." I sigh. "I know about you and Fred."

Although he looked as though he was expecting this, his eyes grow in alarm. He glances around the hall, looking for anyone who might eavesdrop.

He grabs my wrist, pulling me away from everyone. "Mia, I- I didn't... I know I should have... I Should have told you, but-"

I place my hands on his shoulders, hearing the worry in his voice. "Alex," I say softly, in a voice I hope is calming. "It's okay. It's fine. I love you, no matter what, okay?"

Alex breathes a small sigh of relief. "Look, I've been trying to tell you since we got back to Hogwarts, but... It's really hard, Mia."

"I know," I answer. "There's nothing wrong with being gay, and I'm really happy for you and Fred. Honestly. Although, I can't deny I'm surprised. I mean, you and James are the two biggest flirts in the year."

"I'm not gay," he tells me, which causes me to look at him confused. "I'm bisexual. Like, I like both guys and girls." His face is pink, but I can see in his eyes how happy he is to finally tell me this. "Fred, however, is definitely gay." He grins. He looks to his own watch and then frowns. "I'm going to be late- screw it, I can skip class." He looks around again. "Can we... Talk about this in private?" he asks.

...

Alex and I head to the Viaduct, both of us deciding it's a nice place to talk, as hardly any students go through it. I wrap my scarf tightly around my neck, feeling partly relieved to be having this conversation with Alex. I wonder if he's annoyed about my bluntness- I'm _terrible _at talking about personal stuff with Alex lately.

If two years ago, Alex decided to tell me about his sexuality, it wouldn't have even bothered me. However, it's been awhile since we've really talked properly, just the two of us. I feel somewhat nostalgic, as if nothing has changed between us.

"I kind of figured out I like guys too, probably in third year," Alex tells me, leaning against one of the pillars. "I always thought I was... _weird_. But, things happened, and I eventually figured it out."

"How long have you and Fred been a thing?" I ask him curiously.

"Since the end of last year," he replies, smiling down at the ground. "We haven't told James yet. We want to, but we don't know how."

"James is pretty chill," I remind him. "He'll be happy for you guys."

Alex looks at me, his face tightened into a cold expression. "It's hard to know, you know? How people will react." He sighs. "I'm so tired of hiding this from people, Mia. I know people are more accepting these days, or so they say until they actually meet someone who's gay. Sometimes, people aren't as accepting as they claim to be."

I nod my head, knowing what he says is true. I give him a small, warm smile. "James loves you, Alex," I say gently. "Nothing will change that."

"I know," he answers, turning to stare out across the land below us. "Fred's family know. They're cool with it- and they know about us, too." I see him smile, and I join him, gazing out, watching crows soar in the distance. The wind howls, blowing my hair across my face. I tuck it behind my ears, enjoying this moment with Alex. It really has been too long.

"I notice you got two letters the other morning," I mention. "An invitation to the wedding?"

He nods his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Fred said he was going to take me, anyway. But it feels nice to be invited by Teddy and Victorie," he tells me. "All of them feel like family to me at this stage."

I feel my chest tighten in jealousy. Deciding not to mention that those words hurt my feelings, I continue on with the conversation normally. "James invited me as his plus one."

"You two getting along is probably the strangest thing ever," he laughs.

"I feel like things are changing, Alex," I say. "It's only October, and so much has already happened."

"How have you been?" he asks, turning his head to look at me. "You know, dad's anniversary is coming up soon."

"I know," I mumble. "I... I've been having the dreams again."

Alex looks immediately alarmed at this. A mixture of emotions play on his face, until finally, he just looks lost. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demands. "Or write to mum, because if I know you, you most likely haven't?" He looks a little angry. "You should have said something."

"I didn't want to bother anyone," I admit in a low voice.

He lets out a huff in response to this, looking at me in disbelief. "For a Ravenclaw, you can be quite stupid sometimes," he grumbles. "I told you before that no matter what, you can always talk to me about anything. We've only got each other and Mum, Mia."

"Yeah? Well, you have James, and Fred, and the whole Potter-Weasley family behind you," I snap, not meaning to sound so angry. "I've only got you, and Mum."

Alex narrows his eyes at me, our moods turned slightly sour by my sudden outburst. I feel instantly guilty for snapping at him, but being the stubborn idiot that I am, I refuse to apologize right away. Instead, we stare at each other, glaring.

"When are you going to give up this whole victim act?" he yells, then shakes his head, looking away from me. "You have great friends who love you. People who like you. You have a boyfriend. Why do you always have to act as though everyone's against you?"

I open my mouth to reply, but come up with nothing. I shut it again, feeling like the biggest moron in the world.

"I don't act that way on purpose," I say quietly, feeling ashamed of myself. "Part of me knows that these people like me, but part of me is paranoid they hate me really. And... And I've always been jealous of every Potter or Weasley," I admit. "Ever since dad died, it's just been you, me, and mum. When you became friends with James, and I saw how close their family is, I wanted that. I wanted to have the big family that they have- with dad gone, our house seems more empty and lonely." I notice Alex's face soften slightly, but he still doesn't say anything. "Next year, you'll probably be gone and it'll be just me and mum. I feel like you're pushing us away already."

Finally, he looks at me again. "I'm sorry I made you feel like that," he apologizes, looking a little troubled. "You know I'm gonna visit you two a lot if I do move out next year, right? I'd never abandon you or mum."

"I know you wouldn't," I reply, smiling. "I just have these nagging _what-if _thoughts circling in my mind all the time."

"I'd go insane," Alex jokes. "If you can handle that, _and_ getting good grades, no wonder you were placed in Ravenclaw."

Alex and I continue to talk, skipping the next class as well. I feel a bit anxious about skipping class, but no one comes down this way, so we don't get into any trouble. By the time lunch comes around, it feels as though Alex and I are friends again. He tells me more about his and Fred's relationship, and I feel moved by the way his face lights up, talking so highly of Fred.

Despite clearly not liking Jason, he asks me about him. He makes sure I'm happy. We discuss all sorts of things, you'd swear we spent the entire year apart. It sort of feels like that. It's odd how you can be with a person almost all the time, and know so little about each other. I feel light, as though nothing could bring my mood down. Everything feels okay again.

When it's lunch time, the two of us head up to the Great Hall together, laughing and joking about stupid things. However, Alex and I only make it as far as the Entrance Hall where we're met with the strangest scene.

James has Carter pinned up against the wall, looking angrier than I've ever seen him. Fred and the girls, and a few others stand around him. Fred and Rose notice us first, both of them dashing over to us. Fred looks sickly pale, and Rose looks like she's going to kill someone.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Alex demands.

"Alex, it's... he _knows_," Fred says. "He started telling people about it this morning- people know." Fred is so panicked, he begins to make less sense by the second. With dread, I realize what he's talking about, though.

Alex looks like he's going to be sick, and I feel my blood boil. People are whispering to one another, looking over at Alex as though he's made an appearance on the Daily Prophet, or Witch Weekly.

James still has Carter pinned against the wall, who's babbling nonsense about it not being his fault. He looks to me, eyes wide. "If it's anyone's fault, it's Mia's."

"And why is that?" James demands, his hands tightening on Carter's shirt.

"Well, really, if you're going to talk, at least do it in private. Really, the corner of the Entrance Hall isn't exactly idealistic, now is it?"

I feel my pulse quicken, and my skin pale. However, I'm overcome with so much anger, all I want to do is punch that stupid dweeb in the face."Say what you want about me, Carter," I warn him through gritted teeth, "but don't you _dare _bring my family into this." I scowl. "Let him go, James."

James, after one shove against the wall, lets go of Carter, taking a step back from him. "Oh, and one last thing, Carter," I continue on. He raises an eyebrow, looking smug now that he's out of James' grip. I swing my hand back, balling my hand into a fist, and swing directly at his nose.

A searing pain goes through my hand, but for a moment, I feel triumphant by the wail Carter lets out. I hold my wrist, trying not to let the pain show on my face- Merlin, I need to learn how to throw a punch, I think to myself. A throbbing pain travels through my arm, and tears prick my eyes. I turn away, now facing the most stunned faces.

I hear Carter sobbing behind me. I feel somewhat proud of myself, but also a little ashamed.

"Holy crap, Mia," James exclaims, looking at me amused. "That was the best thing I've ever seen." He sees me cradling my arm, and comes over to inspect. Slowly, the others begin to react, all letting out their remarks of disbelief.

"You're supposed to keep the thumb on the _outside_," James informs me, still looking amazed.

"I think your thumb is dislocated-" Rose begins, before the Great Hall door opens, and Professor Calverny, professor Longbottom, and Professor Flitwick come racing out of the hall. They inspect the scene around them, looking horrified. I glance over at Carter, who's hands are raised to an unmistakably bloody nose. Oh, Merlin, am _I _in trouble for this.

* * *

**Ah, damn. Am I really that transparent? Aha, I'm so glad a few of you seemed to want Alex and Fred to be together. From the moment I thought about writing this story, Alex and Fred have always been a pairing. And now I get to write about them openly, seeing as Carter is a stupid idiot... Yay for Mia, am I right?**

**I really wanted to write some development between Alex and Mia, and i feel as though maybe it's a boring chapter for some of you, but to me it feels important. Both of them get things out of the way that's been causing them to drift apart in closeness. I know they hang out with the same people (Ross and Monica, amiright?), but they weren't that close in any scene. I wanted to change that, because at the end of the day, they are family.**

**ANyway, I'm rambling on ..**

**Replies:**

* * *

**Lifeismorethanaprettyface: You are CORRECT! Good guess :D Ah, I'm glad it did :D I like writing James and Mia! **

**Guest: AHhh, I'm so happy you're happy :D**

**Cara Lavender: Ofc, Jia are adorable :P Well, yeah, people know he's dead, but they don't know _how _he died. That much is kept a secret that the family don't like discussing. Aha, you're right, it's Fred :P **

**Yay for Jia: He's bisexual, which I state above :) Fred, however, is gay.**

**Alice Monita: heh, i'm not giving away any of my plot to you guys :P **

**Jessica: Both are cute (if i do say so myself!). They are totally together :D Hope you enjoyed the chapter- and, since you say you like Fred x Alex, there will be future cute chapters with them ofc. Now I'm considering making a side story for them! **

**Haley: Well, you found out what they were doing in this chapter :D Eh, you'll have to wait and see, friend :D**

* * *

**Please review for more!**

**All the best 3**


	13. Chapter 13

**Trouble is my Middle Name**

"I hope each of you know the seriousness of this situation," Calverny says coldly, looking to each of us. My head hangs low, and I still cradle my hand. The pain is fainter by now, but even just by looking at it, you can see that the thumb is out of place. Although I feel ashamed for the reaction I had to Carter, I don't regret punching him. I thought I might, me being who I am, but I feel glad I did it.

"In all my years, I've never seen such disruptive behaviour," Flitwick adds on, looking disappointed in each of us. I raise an eyebrow, doubting his statement. After all, he was teaching when James' dad was here, and I'm pretty sure Hogwarts was quite disruptive while he was around.

"I will be writing home to your parents immediately," Calverny continues. I look around the room, seeing the horrified faces. Alex, Rose, Dani, Eleanor, James, and Fred stand around Calverny's desk with me, looking worn from today's events. "And each of you will receive detention every Saturday for the month."

"Wait, professor," I say before I can stop myself. Calverny looks to me, not looking pleased that I'm talking. "It was my fault. I take full responsibility for what happened- I'm the one who hit Carter. The rest of them didn't do anything, I swear."

"Mia-" Dani begins, and I can hear the rest of them beginning to argue.

Before they can say anything, Calverny hushes them. They close their mouths, looking at me in surprise. "Ms Johnson, what you did was out of line. I never expected this of you." I can hear the shame in his voice, which makes me feel awful. "And you take all the blame?" he asks. I nod in response, which causes him to sigh. "Very well. The rest of you may leave while I discuss Ms Johnson's punishment with her."

Hesitantly, the others turn to leave, giving me a worried glance before the exit the room.

Except for James. He stays rooted to the spot, looking somewhat conflicted.

"Mr Potter? Something to add?" Longbottom asks him, not looking one bit happy about the situation. Longbottom gives him a warning look, knowing full well that his family will not be pleased if he gets a letter sent home.

James nods his head, while I stare at him in confusion. "I attacked Carter first," James tells him.

Calverny sighs, pulling a piece of parchment towards him. "I thought you might have given up on your antics this year, James," he says. "This is your final year, and I'd rather you didn't spend it attacking other students. Godric knows this will be in the news tomorrow morning- I suggest you keep your head down, James. Do you really want bad publicity?" James doesn't reply, his eyes focused on the ground. "Both of you will be in detention together. This Saturday you two will join Mr Filtch down in the trophy room. I hear they haven't been cleaned in awhile. After that, Mr Filtch will give you punishments as he sees fit." Calverny picks up his quill, dipping it into ink. "I suggest you head to the Hospital Wing, Ms Johnson. Both of you can leave."

As we leave, I look to James, confused. When we exit, he exhales loudly, looking annoyed.

"Why did you tell him you attacked Carter first?" I ask him. "I was going to take the full blame."

He smirks. "Mia, you have never been in detention before," James says. "Would you rather spend those few hours alone?"

I shrug, smiling gratefully at him. "Thanks."

He waves it off. "Don't mention it," he tells me. "Now, come on. We're taking you to madam Promfrey."

...

James and I sit on one of the empty beds in the Hospital Wing as Madam Promfrey tends to my hand. She makes me drink the most vile potion, which is supposed to numb the pain. However, as she taps her want to my dislocated thumb, a sudden sharp pain shoots through my arm as the bone pops back into place, causing me to gasp in pain and shock. Once again, tears form in my eyes, but I blink them back.

"Now, now, Ms Johnson," Promfrey says, flicking her wand, which causes bandages to float towards us, "I don't know what you expected, punching Carter like that. That boy just left moments before you arrived- a broken nose you gave him." She eyes me disapprovingly, but James nudges me in approval. Again, I feel conflicted about how I feel. I _want _to regret what I did, but I _can't_. Carter deserved it- how dare he out my brother and Fred to people? How low can someone go?

She begins to wrap my hand, mumbling about "students these days". I tune her out, feeling horrified for my brother. He had told me only an hour before how worried he was about people finding out, and now everyone probably knows at this stage.

When she finishes taking care of my hand, she tells me to rest it for a few days, as it will still hurt for a week at most. James and I leave the Hospital Wing gladly, hating being in there. Both of us have spent many a night in there due to quidditch injuries, and trust me, it's not at all exciting. In fact, sometimes I wish I was knocked out so I don't have to deal with Promfrey giving out about students and quidditch all the time.

I find myself looking to James nervously. I need to know his response to this whole situation- is he mad at Alex and Fred from hiding this from him?

He looks to me, expecting me to ask him.

"You know I love Alex and Fred, right?" he asks, when I look away anxiously. "Nothing in the world will change that."

I let out a breath of relief. James seems to always know what's on my mind. "Alex was so afraid you'll be mad at him," I admit quietly. "I only found out yesterday."

"At least I'm not the only one who was in the dark," he mumbles. "I wish they trusted me, though. I'm not mad, of course. Still..." He trails off. I understand how he feels, as I had wished the same thing. "Now the whole school knows thanks to that git."

I look angrily at the ground, hating Carter with every fiber of my being. "Let's go find Alex and Fred," I suggest. "I think we all need to talk to one another-"

"Mia!"

I wheel around at the sound of my name, and see Jason jogging to catch up with us. James lets out a sigh. "I'll catch up with you later," James says. "Come to the Gryffindor common room later, and we'll all talk about it." He leaves, not bothering to acknowledge Jason. Jason stares after him, his eyes narrowed slightly. Although I notice this, I let it slide.

He looks at me, and I see worry. "I just got told you were in a fight?" He sounds unsure and disbelieving.

I nod my head slowly. "Well, I sort of, _may_ have, hit Carter and broke his nose," I admit cautiously. I watch his expression turn to surprise. He opens his mouth slightly, as though wanting to reply to this, but coming out with nothing. "He said stuff about my brother he had no right to say," I explain, scowling.

"I... actually heard about that," Jason tells me, looking concerned. "Is Alex okay?"

I'm grateful for his concern for my brother considering they clearly don't get along. "I'd say he's a _little_ worried," I mutter. "Carter is such an absolute twat!" I exclaim loudly, feeling the anger boil up in me. "He's the most inconsiderate moron that's ever lived!"

Jason places his hands on my shoulders, in an effort to calm me. However, even now, Jason can't help.

"Sorry," I say. "And I can't go training with you tonight-" I hold up my bandaged hand, which causes him to look more concerned. "I sort of dislocated my thumb. It should be fine after a week, but right now, I can't do much with it." I let out a defeated huff, finally feeling exhausted after everything that happened.

"S'okay," Jason reassures me. "I was just planning to snog you anyway."

I feel my cheeks grow warm, and I shove him away with my good hand, causing him to laugh. "Quit doing that to me," I say, but I find myself smiling.

"You love it really," he says, grabbing my hand to pull me closer to him.

Instead of kissing me like he normally does when he pulls me closer, he wraps his arms around me. I sigh into his chest, wrapping my arms around him, feeling my anger fading away. Merlin, it's been awhile since I've received a nice, warm hug. I close my eyes, pulling him in tighter, not wanting to ever let go. The smell of his cologne fills my nostrils, causing me to sigh. I never knew I could ever like someone this much.

I feel the warmness I felt when he first kissed me, starting in my chest, and then slowly spreading to every part of my body.

Jason presses his lips to my head, leaving a burning sensation on my skin. My stomach bursts with butterflies; my mind feels unfocused. Although there's more important things to worry about right now, I can't focus on anything but the way his hand rubs my back, or the way he smells, or how I could stay with him like this for eternity.

And I thought my crush on Fred was intense. It's nothing compared to what I feel for Jason.

Eventually, he does pull away from our hug, to my dismay. He wears a smile on his face, his eyes bright and startling.

I feel almost afraid by how much I've grown to like Jason.

"Do you want to just go to the common room?" he asks me. "You look like you need to relax."

"I need to talk to my brother first," I tell him. "I need to make sure he's okay." Jason nods his head in understanding. "I'll be around later, though. We can hang out in the common room then." When Jason accepts this offer, I make my way to the Gryffindor tower.

When I arrive, James is standing at the portrait of the Fat Lady, a blank parchment, which I assume is his map, sticking out of his pocket.

"How are they?" I ask him at once.

James makes an odd expression. "Maybe you should come in," he advises me.

Confused, I follow James into their common room. What greets me is surprising. A large crowd stands in a circle around where the couches would be situated. James pushes the crowd aside, beckoning me to follow him. I hear people talking, some saying "it's okay," and things similar to that. When we push through the crowd, I realize that they're all standing around my brother and Fred, who sit in surprise on the couch.

Rose, Dani, and Eleanor sit beside them, a smile plastered on each of their faces.

"And plus, anyone who says anything to you two will have to deal with us," says a buff looking seventh year boy I vaguely recognize as being one of the Gryffindor beaters.

"Our bats come in handy for knocking sense into people," the other beater agrees.

I feel my heart swell, when people begin to laugh, and Fred and Alex join them. I see the relief on both their faces, both of them looking much better than they had awhile ago.

"And, Mia broke Carter's nose, if that in anyway helps," James tells the crowd.

They cheer in response to that, a few people clapping me on the back, one or two reaching out for a high-five. I grin, my mood lifting. My worry begins to vanish, and I feel proud that my brother and Fred are receiving so much support from their peers. I know some will be cold towards them, and judge them, but right now, things seem to be positive, so for now, I don't dwell on that thought.

For a few hours, people reassure Alex and Fred that they support them, and we sit around making jokes, enjoying ourselves. I look around, in that moment, in love with each of my friends. I think back to only a few weeks ago, when I had let my jealousy cloud my opinion on each of the Potter's and Weasley's, or how I had felt distant from Alex. Now, I feel nothing but love for them.

After awhile, the crowd begins to disperse until it's just James, Alex, Fred, El, Dani, Rose, and I left, sitting in a circle on the floor, chairs and couches. Rose, Fred, and Alex sit on the couch, James and Dani sit on the chairs, while Eleanor and I sit in front of the blazing fire.

"I, uh, just want to say thanks to you guys," Alex says. "It's nice to know I have friends who have our backs."

"Of course we do, mate," James replies, smiling. "We're always here for you."

Alex and Fred smile gratefully at us as we all agree with James.

"And, we're sorry we didn't tell you guys sooner," Fred adds on. "We wanted to, but we didn't know how."

"It's okay," Rose reassures him. "We understand. And, we're all really happy for you both."

Again, we all agree.

I glance at the time, shocked to see it's almost nine. Today went by so quickly- and I told Jason I'd hang with him in the common room. I wonder if he's mad at me for leaving for so long.

I stand up, part of me not wanting to leave. "I have to go," I tell them. "I'm glad you two are okay."

"Thanks Mia," Fred replies.

Saying goodbye to everyone, I rush back to the Ravenclaw common room, feeling bad for leaving Jason waiting for so long. When I enter into the common room after answering a somewhat easy riddle, I see Jason sitting on the couch in front of the fire, a book held up this face, more books on the table in front of him, and a quill next to a parchment which has a lot of writing on it.

The Common Room is pretty empty, which makes me happy. I had been nervous about seeing Carter, but he doesn't seem to be around. I realize that I'll have no choice but to face him in class tomorrow.

Not wanting to think about it, I join Jason on the couch, who finally notices my presence.

"Sorry I was gone so long," I begin, leaning up against him. "I didn't realize the time."

"Don't worry, it's fine," he says absentmindedly, his eyes continuing to read his book. "One second- just have to finish this passage." For a few moments, I watch as he reads, his eyes darting back and forth, golden in the firelight.

Again, I'm mesmerized by their beauty. I want to tell him how nice they look right now, complimenting him for a change.

When he finishes reading, he shuts the book, stacking it onto his other books on the table. He turns to me, a golden wonder. How on earth did I manage to get someone so beautiful? Again, I feel the nervousness I felt awhile ago while he hugged me. I feel like this could be a dream, and I could wake at any moment, losing this all.

I can't bare the thought.

"I really like your eyes," I blurt out.

He blinks in surprise, but a smile appears on his face. "My eyes? Really?" He takes my hands in his, gentle with my sore hand.

I nod my head. "You have really nice eyes." I know I'm blushing, but it feels good to compliment him, and see the smile grow on his face. "I really like your smile, too," I continue. "And your hair, and-"

He interrupts me, by kissing me softly. Merlin, his lips are soft, and gentle. He presses a hand to my face, and my heart melts at his touch. I close my eyes, allowing myself to get lost in the moment. I can faintly taste mint from his lips. My hands bring themselves up to his shoulders, and then up to his hair. His hair is soft, too, I notice.

I feel like I'm one of those girls in the YA novels I read before- I'm desperate for Jason. I know we've kissed before, but this one feels different. I never want it to end, and I feel myself pushing closer to him. Merlin, I'm glad the common room is pretty empty.

His arms travel down to my wait, pulling me closer to him, so that I'm now on his lap. My heart is racing, it almost feels like it's going to explode at any moment.

I pull away, breathless.

"I really like your eyes, too," he informs me, his cheeks red from the intensity of our kiss. He tucks my hair behind my ear, kissing me again, this time less intensely. "And, I like your hair," he says, kissing me again. "And I really like you, Mia." He gives me a final kiss. He rests his forehead against mine, and I savour the moment.

"I really like you, too," I reply.

After awhile, we find ourselves lying on the couch, his arms around me, my head resting against his chest. I close my eyes, listening to the steady beating of his heart.

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**Jason x Mia 2k5eva ! **

**i kid, i kid ! **

**I just really wanted to write Jason and Mia being adorable. Haha, I can't wait to write what I have in store for them! :D **

**Again, all reviews are appreciated :) **

**replies:**

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**Guest: I'm glad you're excited :D**

**Yay for Jia: of course, of course. It wouldn't be a cliche fic otherwise :D**

**lifeismorethanaprettyface: whew, that's a lot of questions- which I'm happy to get :D No, no, whatever happened between Jason and Alex is for later chapters! No, Just Fred's family- mother, father, and sister. Again, nope! Mia's mum doesn't know about Alex, especially not about Alex and Fred:) Oh merlin, no. Carter isn't into Mia, but I'll be telling you why they dislike one another in the next chapter. Nah, Jason likes her too much- he's concerned for her mostly. Most of these will be answered in future chapters / answered in this chapter :) Thanks for the long review- I really loved it :D**

**Cara Lavender: Well, we know the first punishment anyway :D ye ye im just very cliche when it comes to writing stories- except for one where i killed off the main character. I had a few angry reviewers for that.**

**Haley: more or less... We still have to hear her mothers reaction! **

**Jessica: Well, it was in a bad way everyone found out, though. :( I might do it, if some people are interested. It might only be 5 chapters long at most.**

**Alex: it's odd that you ask that, because I was rereading my story to remind myself of a few details, when I realized I never described her :0 I will of course describe her in the next chapter, because that's a ridiculous thing to leave out! **

**hp1234: ah, thank you :) **

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Thanks for all the reviews guys 3


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So... Jia for life am I right? heh**

**Detention**

I didn't think things could go from bad to worse, until Saturday morning.

We sit at the Gryffindor table, Jason joining us after my insistence. We all talk together, James and I both dreading detention after breakfast. Jason and Alex barely acknowledge one another, and once again I'm left wondering what happened between the two of them. This definitely goes beyond a simple Quidditch rivalry. Even Jason and James are civil to one another, and they're rival captains. (Or, as James puts it: Nemesis).

A familiar sound causes me to look up from the table, cutting me off from my thoughts. My eyes land on the owls that fly through the open window to deliver their mail. I notice Hooting among the other owls.

He drops a letter in front of me, along with our weekly Daily Prophet, and a Witch Weekly magazine. I push them aside, focusing on the letter, and upon seeing it, I feel all the colour drain from my face.

"Oh, no," I gasp, picking it up, and jumping out of my seat.

The others look to me, their eyes landing on the letter in my hands.

"You won't make it out of the hall in time," James says, looking nervously at the letter as though it might well explode- which, unfortunately, would be a lot more appealing.

"Just suck it up, and open it," Alex tells me.

I sit back down, my hands trembling. "Please just kill me," I say, as I rip open the letter, knowing that if I leave it, it will be a million times worse.

"MIA HELENA JOHNSON, I AM _SHOCKED_. HOW _DARE_ YOU PUNCH SOMEONE- I DON'T EVEN _CARE _IF IT WAS PROVOKED. I DID NOT EXPECT THIS OF YOU, AND I AM ASHAMED. YOU ARE IN _SERIOUS _TROUBLE, YOUNG LADY. IF I _EVER _HEAR OF YOU CAUSING TROUBLE AGAIN, YOU WILL BE BANNED FROM PLAYING QUIDDITCH, OR HAVING _ANY _FRIENDS OVER. GOOD DAY."

With that final word, the letter proceeds to rip itself apart. I stare at it in horror, my eyes wide. Oh, Merlin. It's one hundred times worse when it's directed at you. I swallow, my face bright red, as people stare directly at me, the hall gone completely silent at the yelling of the Howler.

I hear a few people snickering, among them, Emma, Anna, Emily, and of course, Carter. I slam my face down onto the table, wanting to disappear forever. Merlin, that was mortifying. I vow to never, ever break any school rules, ever again.

I feel Jason rubbing my back comfortingly.

"At least that's over with," Dani says, as the hall begins to talk again.

"And _that's _why you don't punch people, or break rules," El says, her eyes staring at the ripped up letter by my head.

I squint at her. "He deserved it," I remind her.

"He did have it coming," James agrees. "If you think that's bad, wait until detention. It's _so _much fun."

I let out a long groan, wanting this day to be over already. I can almost see the smug look on Carter's face due to me being humiliated in front of the whole school. I glower at the table, wishing Carter had gotten into trouble, bar a telling-off. If anyone deserved detention for a month, it would be Carter. He's a git- and I don't care if he's a prefect, or that he had taken one hundred points away from me due to what I had done. I don't care anymore.

Nearly everyone agrees that he had it coming for spreading the news about my brother. A lot of our fellow Ravenclaws were more pissed off with him, than me for losing us one hundred points. If Carter had learned to keep his mouth shut, none of this would have happened.

When breakfast is over, Filtch comes limping over to James and I, looking pleased that we're being punished. He guides us to a door at the back of the hall, which leads down to the Trophy Room.

I can't say it's a room I've ever visited much, bar one time. That time was only because I was curious to see all the trophies people had won over the many years at Hogwarts.

The room is dark, lit by hanging torches. It smells strongly of dust, and I scrunch up my nose, disgusted by the build up of dust clearly seen on the shelves.

"An' no magic," Filtch warns us, handing us cleaning supplies. I stare at him horrified. "I'll be back e'ery hour to check on you two. None of yous is leaving until every trophy is shining."

I take the cleaning supplies from Filtch's hands, dreading the day ahead. Only Godric knows how long this will take us. Chuckling, Filtch limps back up the stairs, leaving James and I alone, in a place I'll never want to be again after today.

Instead of starting straight away, like I probably should, I find myself wandering around the room, looking at random trophies, and pictures of quidditch teams through the years.

I see the names of many famous wizards- among them, James' family. "Jeez, was everyone of your aunts and uncles on a quidditch team?" I ask, picking up a picture from the Gryffindor section, and wiping some dust off of it- in it is Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley. Beside that picture it has Harry, Fred, George. Another one has Bill Weasley, and Charlie Weasley on the team.

I shake my head, placing the picture back down, and looking at the plaques.

"A lot of them played quidditch," James replies from the other side of the room, as he has a look around, too. I watch as he picks up a picture, reading the names of each of the players. "Whoa, Mia, your dad played quidditch. I never knew that."

"Yeah," I reply quietly. "He loved quidditch- he's the reason Alex and I love it so much."

"You two don't talk about him much," James notes, placing the picture back down.

I sigh, not wanting to discuss my father right now. "We don't like talking about him," I say firmly, hinting that I don't like talking about my father.

"Oh. Sorry," James apologizes, getting the hint. He pauses for a second, as though considering something. "Can I ask you something?" As he says this, he picks up a sponge, dipping it into the bucket of water filtch had given to us. As he waits for my reply, he begins to wipe down one of the empty shelves, ridding it of dust.

I feel my heart begin to race at this question- it must be an important question if he's asking can he ask this question.

I find myself nodding my head nervously.

"Why do you and Carter not get along?" he asks.

I sigh, walking over to him, and taking one of the pictures down off of a shelf. I grab a cloth, dip it in water, and begin to wipe the dust off. I sit down on the floor, knowing that this day is going to be the longest day I've ever had.

I don't answer for a few minutes, and James doesn't push me to answer. I debate telling him a lie, but that would be stupid. What's the point in lying about what happened between Carter and I? It won't change anything- except perhaps how James sees me.

I bite my lip. "Well, at the beginning of third year, I sort of found out Carter had a crush on me," I begin. James looks a little surprised at this, but doesn't say anything. "I was never interested in Carter- as you certainly know, I had a crush on Fred at this time." James looks away, looking guilty for what he did to me in third year. "Anyway, before you told people about that, I sort of led Carter on. I began to use him- you know, for stupid stuff, like doing my homework, or carrying my books." I frown. "When you began to rumour, Carter was seriously hurt. He thought I really liked him..." I sigh.

James looks even more shocked. "That's..."

"Harsh?" I suggest. "People always assume that Carter is the mean one, and I know he's not exactly nice now, but... I started this all. I was the one who was mean to him, and I really hurt his feelings." I look at my reflection in the glass- awfully pale skin, deep green eyes, and dark, messy brown hair. Nothing special. Why on earth did Carter even like me? And why on earth does Jason like me now?

"Actually, I was going to say what happened is no excuse for what Carter did," James says. "At least you're not like that anymore- you don't use people. He's still mean and horrible."

I decide to change the subject, not comfortable with this topic either. "So, are you going to come to our house after the wedding?" I ask him, grabbing another photo from the shelf.

He grins. "Of course," he replies, sitting down next to me with a trophy in his hands. "The holidays wouldn't be fun without me around to torment you." I stick my tongue out at him, throwing the wet cloth at him. He catches it easily in his hand, laughing at my disappointed face. Damn chasers and their great catching skills. "Actually, speaking of the wedding," he continues, tossing the cloth back to me. "Well, Alex is spending the first few days at Fred's seeing as Christmas is only four days after we get off, and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to stay at my place?"

"So you can torment me for longer?" I ask, feeling myself blushing for some reason unknowable to me.

"Naturally," he agrees with a grin. "I only mean if you want to, of course." He shrugs as though it's not a big deal, but for some reason, it feels like a big deal to me.

"I mean, I'll have to wait a little while before I can ask mum," I say. "But, sure."

He looks delighted at this, which surprises me. It is strange that James and I have become close this year- only over a month ago I had disliked him for always teasing me, and poking fun at me every chance he got. He really has changed a lot this year alone. I realize I'm staring at him, and quickly busy myself with our work. I get a strange feeling in my stomach, but I dismiss it quickly.

It's like, the moment we began spending time together, me having to tutor him every week, we got to know one another. Once James confessed to me he needed my help, it's as though our whole relationship changed.

"You've stopped pulling pranks," I note.

"Yeah," he replies.

"Why?" I ask him.

"Now that I'm in seventh year, and I'll be leaving Hogwarts after this, there's been more and more about me in the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly," he explains. "Everybody wants to know what the son of famous Harry Potter will be doing with his life once he finishes school. I'm honestly so tired of seeing myself and my family in the news all the time."

"You're tired of seeing yourself?" I joke.

His expression grows hard, looking annoyed. "You don't get it," he grumbles. "It's like I can't have my own life- it's always _Harry Potter's son this, _or _Harry Potter's son that_. No matter what, people will never see me as a person- just the son of the most famous wizard of all time. It's tiring."

"I'm sorry," I say. "I never realized..."

"It's fine," James tells me, waving his hand dismissively. "It's just, I can't do anything without it being mentioned in some article. I can't even have a girlfriend without it making the front page- like, _honestly_, there's more important things out there." He falls onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "When I get out of here, I want a nice peaceful life- maybe I can buy a house in some remote village in Scotland, or hey, maybe even in Ireland."

I look at him, a small smile on my face. "I know you say that, but I don't think that would suit you," I say. "I think chaos sort of suits you."

"Chaos?" he raises an eyebrow, turning his head to look at me.

"Yeah. Not bad chaos- a big family, never a quiet moment because someone's always making noise. Storms." I shrug my shoulders. "You just remind me of those stuff, I guess."

"I remind you of storms?" he asks, a little uncertain, sitting back up. He looks quite interested in what I have to say.

"I love storms," I say.

"Oh?"

My eyes widen in alarm. "I'm not implying I like you- I mean, I do like you, just not like that," I say, panicked. "I like Jason. Not that you're not a great guy, or anything, but we're just not-"

"No, no, I know what you meant," he says, his eyes wide as well. His cheeks are pink, and I know for a fact, so are mine. "I don't... I mean, you're great, but we're not... we're just friends." He looks a little panicked too.

"Yes!" I exclaim in agreement. "And I really like being friends with you."

He scratches the back of his head anxiously, avoiding my eyes. He lets out a nervous cough, staring sharply down at the trophy in his hands, his cheeks still pink. The feeling in my stomach returns again, this time not leaving. I busy myself with the rest of the framed photographs displayed on the shelves. I'm with Jason, anyway, even if I did feel that way for James- and I really do like Jason.

However, every now and then I find myself glancing to James, and I know for a fact that this is not how I thought this year would go.

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***chants* SLOW BURN, SLOW BURN, SLOW BURN **

**In case you didn't realize, this is gonna be a slow burn fic (meaning: the build up to them will be slow, and agonizing for all of you). However, i think you guys will find them being adorable together even if they're not an item yet! and, the chapter in which Jia may happen is gonna be so adorable your hearts will explode- but, again, it won't be for another while. Sorry ! **

**Aha, anyway...**

**Replies:**

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**Yay for Jia: Well, I appreciate it anyway :D this is what happened- i hope you enjoyed it :D**

**Guest: They are totally made for one another, even if they don't know it yet :P **

**Alex: I think everyone is on Team Jia! :P But yeah Jason and Mia are cute, too... for now **

**Haley: The winky face is very suggestive there, friend. :P **

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**Please review for more! ily :) 3 **


	15. Chapter 15

After our first detention together, James and I begin hanging out a lot more- I mean, I _would _hang out with Jason, but he's preoccupied himself with studying a lot, or training, and my hand is still sore from punching Carter, so I can only sit on the bench while he trains, which I _really _don't want to do. So, during the time he does train, I find James, and the two of us hang out.

I find it strange, but I really enjoy being with James.

The following Friday, I head into breakfast, a large smile on my face, excited for this evenings match; Gryffindor verses Slytherin. I head straight over to the Gryffindor table, joining the others for breakfast. James sits beside us, but he's in discussion with his teammates- I notice Alex looking nervous because of the match. James is talking so rapidly in excitement, that it's hard to catch what he's saying.

"If Gryffindor don't win against Slytherin, I may kill someone," Dani says, sitting down across from me. Dani is a massive quidditch supporter, even if she doesn't play the sport herself. Every match that Gryffindor play, Dani is the one getting the crowd excited, hours before the match even begins.

Right now, she has little red and gold streaks on her cheeks, looking more excited than I've seen her in awhile. She wears a very well hand designed jumper that sports the slogan: GO GO GRYFFINDOR, with a lions paw printed onto it. Everyone knows how proud Dani is when it comes to her house, and part of me believes her statement.

Rose sits down next to her, her cheeks painted red and gold too. I suspect Dani is behind that.

"Don't worry, Dani," James says, upon hearing this. "We're going to trash Slytherin."

"Mia, are you still supporting Slytherin?" Rose asks me, beginning her breakfast.

All eyes turn to me, waiting for my response. I shake my head, having decided the other day that I should support the team my friends are on- even if they did beat us last year in the final. "I was actually going to ask could I borrow your scarf, James- you know, to show my support." He smiles at this. "Nice t-shirt, Dani."

She looks down at it, looking proud of herself. "At least you're supporting the good team," Dani replies. "Was Jason mad when you told him?"

"Not really," I say. "I mean, he wasn't ecstatic about it, but either way, both teams are our rivals."

"You spend so much time at this table sometimes I forget you're not in our house," Rose admits. "Hey, you should come to the after party tonight!"

"Really?" I ask, shocked.

"Yeah, you should definitely come!" Dani agrees, nodding her head in approval. "It's so much fun- but be prepared for little, to no sleep." Dani looks to El. "You too, El. You should both come."

"I don't see why not," El says, looking at me.

"Sounds like a plan."

...

Before the match begins, James comes to find me to give me his scarf. I notice Jason looking disapprovingly as I wrap it around me. I had even allowed Dani to draw a lions paw onto my cheek in the Gryffindor colours.

Together, we follow the crowd heading down to the Quidditch Pitch.

A sea of red and green greets us as we enter the pitch, and I realize how excited I am for Quidditch matches to begin for this years season. The Hufflepuff verses Ravenclaw match isn't until November, which although is less than a month away, it feels like forever away. I can't wait to play a real match, proving my skill to the school. Plus, it's the one day where I feel completely exhilarated and free.

There's something moving about seeing people cheering you on as you play a match. Again, I think about my future, and what I want to do when I leave Hogwarts. Becoming a professional Quidditch player sounds more and more appeasing the more I think about it. Merlin, I could even tryout for the Holyhead Harpies. They are one of the best teams in the league.

We sit down next to Dani, Rose, Eleanor, and Fred, who all wear red and gold, looking excited for the match to begin.

"And here comes the Slytherin team- captain Scorpius Malfoy leads the team," announces Caoimhe Finnegan, the announcer for today's match. "Slytherin have a fantastic lineup for today's match, but will it be enough to beat Gryffindor?" Gryffindor begin to chant "GO GO GRYFFINDOR" loudly, pounding their feet in anticipation for the Gryffindor team to come out.

I find myself cheering alongside them.

"And, here's the Gryffindor team!" Caoimhe announces, sounding much more excited than when she announced Slytherin's arrival. After all, Caoimhe _is _a Gryffindor.

The Gryffindor side go hectic, cheering on Gryffindor as they fly out onto the pitch. "James Potter is this years captain- his final year in school. I can tell he's going to give it all he's got this year. Can they win the House Cup two years in a row, though?"

I watch as each of the team members fly to their positions. My eyes follow James, feeling the same awe I had felt the first time I had seen him play a match. He looks so at ease, as though this is second nature to him. He shakes Scorpius' hand, both boys glaring at one another. My brother flies above the chasers, where the seekers are positioned before the match begins.

Now that he's on a broom, he looks less nervous, as people cheer them on.

Madam Hooch walks onto the pitch, carrying the trunk which holds the quaffle, the bludgers, and the snitch. She sets it down in the center, looking to the players. She opens the trunk. First, she releases the snitch, which shoots up into the air, and is lost in its speed after only a few seconds. Second is the bludgers, which shoot up by themselves threateningly. All the beaters watch them carefully. Finally, she picks up the quaffle, and warns them to have a clean game- which, if being honest, never happens- before she throws up the quaffle.

The match has begun.

In seconds, the quaffle is in James' hands. He speeds down the pitch, passing the quaffle to one of his other teammates as he's blocked by some Slytherins. His teammate catches the quaffle with ease, flying closer to the rings- she throws it, but the Slytherin keeper saves the shot. He throws it out to Scorpius, who travels down to the other side of the pitch, the quaffle tucked under his arm.

One of the Gryffindor beaters swings a bludger in his direction, but Scorpius swerves to avoid it- a gasp fills the stadium at the close call. Like many others, I can't stay sitting as I watch the match.

Scorpius throws the quaffle quickly, and scores the first goal of the match. The Slytherin house cheer him on, and Scorpius looks triumphantly out at the crowd. I feel disappointed, but I know ten points is nothing, and I shouldn't worry too much- still, my stomach twists in nervousness.

The match continues for hours, with only three injuries. Gryffindor lead with 120 points to 90.

Eventually, the golden snitch is spotted. The Slytherin seeker dives upon seeing it first, but Alex quickly follows. I can't tear my eyes away from them as the dive closer and closer to the ground, following the snitch closer. Both of them lean backward on their brooms, realizing the closeness of the ground. They continue to follow the snitch, which appears to be shooting back up again.

I watch with wide eyes as they soar higher and higher. I can feel my adrenaline coursing through my body, as the two seekers fight to keep up with the golden snitch. I see Alex stretch out his hand, and then-

"Alex Johnson has caught the golden snitch!" Caoimhe exclaims delightedly. "Gryffindor win the match!"

Nearly the whole stadium roars in approval. Alex lands down onto the pitch, keeping a tight grip on the snitch, looking proud of himself. I join El, Dani, Rose, and Fred as they begin to make their way onto the pitch to congratulate the team. Jason doesn't join us, but says he'll catch up with me later- he says he wants to take note of their tactics so we can be prepared if we do have to face Gryffindor in the final again.

"Well done!" I say, throwing my arms around Alex, feeling proud of him.

I know why he was so nervous for today's game- everyone would be watching him, and now everyone knows about him and Fred. It's a lot to handle for your first game, if you ask me. However, people keep patting him on the back, congratulating him for winning the match for Gryffindor. After I release him, Fred hugs him, and I can see Alex blushing.

Lately, they've been more open about their relationship, but only in small ways. They're both still nervous about what others will say to them, or if people will judge them. They're taking it one step at a time.

James joins us, looking ecstatic. "I _told _you we'd win," James tells Dani.

"We'll meet you up at the common room," Alex says, as James throws his arm around him, looking over the moon with their victory. There's no better feeling than winning a match- especially the first one of the season. "We've got to shower and change."

"You lot do stink," Rose kids, pulling a disgusted expression.

...

When people said that Gryffindor parties were great, they were not kidding. The common room is full of people, some of the older students drinking butterbeer, and firewhiskey. I'm sure James has something to do with bringing the firewhiskey, I decide. There's also sweets everywhere, which I know James is _definitely _behind. There's music coming from an old looking radio, and it blares the Weird Sisters.

I try to imagine Ravenclaws throwing a party like this, but it's almost impossible to imagine. I mean, we're not boring or anything, but Flitwick would definitely stop us from throwing one. I'm sort of glad McGonagall has given up on attempting to stop these parties from happening.

Sometime into the night, a firewhiskey is shoved into my hand by Rose.

I cautiously take a sip, uncertain of the drink. It burns my throat- no wonder they have _fire _at the beginning of the name. However, I find I quite enjoy the taste of it, so I take more.

Rose grabs my hand, pulling me off the couch. "You and I are going dancing," she tells me, pulling me into the crowd of dancing students.

I feel the blood drain from my face immediately. "Oh, no, I'm fine over there on the couch," I say, taking another sip of the firewhiskey. Holy Hufflepuff, that drink is quite nice.

"Oh, come on!" she begs, sticking out her lower lip, and looking at me from under her eyelashes. "Please dance with me?"

I look around me, watching everyone dance to the music. Nobody seems to care whether they look good, or if they're in beat. They're all laughing, enjoying themselves. I wonder if it has to do with the firewhiskey that they don't seem bothered. Dani stands in the middle of the crowd, jumping around, singing "We are the champions!"

Eleanor had been pulled up by some guy moments before Rose came to me. She's dancing with him now, smiling brightly.

Rose takes my cup after I finish the drink, and places it onto a shelf near her. She grabs my hands, and begins moving my body. We both look absolutely ridiculous, but both of us begin to laugh.

After a little while, I feel myself loosening up, getting into the swing of a party. I even drink another full cup of firewhiskey- which probably isn't the smartest idea, due to it being the first time I've ever drank firewhiskey. just after two cups, I find myself a small bit tipsy. But, hey, at least I'm loosening up, I guess.

"Bloody hell, I can't dance anymore," Rose says. "Want to sit on the couch- it's free right now."

I clumsily follow her out of the crowd, and onto the couch. By now it's dark outside, and with a quick glance to my watch, I see it's only 10:40. It's still early, I note. Yet again, I get another glass of firewhiskey.

Alex joins us on the couch, looking absolutely exhausted. He narrows his eyes at the glass in my hand. "Don't drink too much," he warns me. "You're not of age until February."

I wave my hand, as though swatting away a fly. "Brother, I am _fine_," I say, but even I notice how slurred my speech sounds. I find myself laughing at how stupid I sound, shaking my head. "I'm fine," I say again.

"You're _not _fine," he says. "You're drunk."

"Alex, lighten up," Rose says. "I'm watching her. Let her have fun."

"Rose, I'm beginning to think you're a bad influence on my sister." He sighs. "Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

With that, he leaves us to find Fred in the crowd. I lie back into the chair, feeling content. Why am I smiling? I had heard that alcohol is a depressant; however, I feel oddly happy- I can actually have fun without worrying about other people. Part of me knows it's false confidence, but at the moment, I don't care. I'll take false confidence over being a nervous wreck any day.

For some reason I begin to think of James- I haven't seen him much since we got into the common room. I've only caught glimpses of him, usually with someone. Sometimes talking to some girl- I feel oddly jealous about that.

I shake off that feeling, frowning.

I look around the room, and see him sitting on a chair, once again, talking to some girl who sits across from him on another chair. I stand up, and Rose looks at me confused. "I- I'm going to talk to James," I announce.

She glances over at him, then back to me. "Oh, no you're not," she decides.

I frown. "Why?"

"No reason," Rose tells me. "You're drunk- maybe you should wait until you're sober before you talk to James."

"You let me talk to everyone else," I whine, sitting down next to her again. "I'll only be a second," I promise.

"Mia..." she sighs when I give her the best pleading look I manage. "fine! I'm watching you, though. And..." She shakes her head. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I'm a Ravenclaw," I remind her, standing up with a grin on my face.

"You're a _drunk _Ravenclaw," she mumbles.

I laugh, and walk up behind James. The girl he's talking to, looks up at me as I wrap my arms around James' neck from behind- I don't know why Rose would think I'd do something stupid. Doesn't she know all Ravenclaw's are smart?

James turns slightly, as I lean my chin on his shoulder. "Are you okay, Mia?" he asks, holding onto my wrist.

"According to everyone I'm drunk," I mumble.

"You're joking," James says sarcastically, laughing.

I shake my head. The girl he had been talking to gets up awkwardly, leaving James and I alone. I feel happy that she's gone- again, I'm not sure why. And I'm certainly not sure why I feel _jealous_.

"Here," he says, taking my hands and guiding me onto the now empty chair. "I don't think you should have anymore firewhiskey."

"It tastes _so good_," I reply, holding up my almost already empty cup. "Want to dance?"

He looks a little startled at my question. I watch as he glances over to Rose, who shrugs her shoulders. He looks back to me, considering it. "Are you even able to walk straight?" he asks, arching an eyebrow. I like when he does that- he has a nice face.

"I can still dance," I tell him.

I stand up, tugging at his hands. He looks anxiously at Rose, who again, just shrugs her shoulders. He eventually gives in, and follows me to the dance floor.

My heart is racing in my chest, and I feel ecstatic, as though I can do anything. I don't let go of James' hands, and continue to move the same way Rose had moved awhile ago, until James loosens up. After awhile of dancing, we're joined by our friends, who dance along with us in a group. I find myself having the most fun I've had in a really long time.

I always hear about people my age partying, and having a great time, and a large part of me had doubted the stories. I mean, who has time for that when there's other things to be doing, such as studying, or training, or doing homework, or being in class. Right now, I believe every word of those stories. I jump up and down with the others to the beat of the music, singing as loudly as we can- although very out of tune.

Eventually, once it hits two or three in the morning, we find ourselves sitting on the couch and chairs by the fire. We discuss everything and nothing, but as the drink begins to wear off me, I find myself growing more tired. I (unintentionally) lean my head onto James' shoulder, my eyes closed as I begin to fade into sleep.

I vaguely catch their conversation before sleep calls to me.

"James, are you ever going to-"

"Rose, don't," he hisses quietly, so as not to disturb me.

"I know, but you only have a few months left in school," she reminds him.

"She's right mate," Fred says.

"I mean, it's okay with me," Alex agrees. "Sort of." I hear him chuckle.

Everything sounds so distant, as though I'm not really hearing them.

I hear Jason sigh, feeling his shoulders slump. "I will eventually- before we leave school."

And with that, I fall asleep, not hearing a single sound after that.

* * *

**This is sorta a filler chapter i guess. Nothing major happens, maybe the last part. And also feelings growing i guess? Stay tuned for next day angst and a hungover Mia who is definitely a lightweight tbh... I really wanted to write drunk Mia for some reason.. :P bet you guys thought she'd try snog James while drunk, huh? :L**

**replies:**

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**Guest (1): Yeah me neither! I can't wait to write it bc I have so much planned ! **

**lifeismorethanaprettyface: Yeah he is- as James said, it's no excuse! Ah, it'll happen shortly ... Not the next chapter- maybe two / three chapters... bc i am cruel. heh. Alex isn't _that _oblivious- he doesn't particularly like the idea, but he loves his friend a lot and wants him to be happy. YES! they will find out soon! real soon! Ah, thank you! Considering i wrote the first chapter last year, and I have two weeks until Uni begins again, I thought i'd write as much as I could before I can no longer write for fun due to assignments T.T **

**guest (2): ha, Mia may be a ravenclaw, but she can be quite oblivious about certain things! Ah i'm glad you think so! And yeah, he is tbh :P **

**Cara Lavender: I can't wait until they get together either, because I can honestly imagine all you guys crying because _finally _. :P **

**Yay for Jia: Soon, friend, very very soon! :D**

**Haley: them feels tho :') **

**Son of Whitebeard: Ye i agree !**

**Guest (3): Haha,****I have two weeks until Uni begins again, I thought i'd write as much as I could before I can no longer write for fun due to assignments!**

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Thanks so much for the reviews as always! Please please review for more and let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter 16

I open my eyes, to be greeted with a throbbing pain in my head. The world outside is dull, and every noise pierces my head like a dagger. I lift myself up, which is a lot of effort. I feel groggy, and nothing seems real. Somewhere a crow caws loudly, and I want to scream at it to shut up.

I glance at my watch: 7:05. One hour until breakfast. Two hours until detention again. I let out a sigh, taking in my surroundings- bodies are sprawled everywhere. If I didn't feel so awful, I'd probably laugh at how ridiculous everyone looks.

I force myself to stand up. So. Much. Effort.

I'm never, ever drinking firewhiskey again. The room spins for a moment, and I have to close my eyes until I feel okay again, and I don't want to throw up.

I need to go back to my common room- I need a shower, and I need to change out of yesterday's clothes. I feel gross, and weird. I remember dancing a lot, but right now, that's all my mind can process before it hurts again.

Quietly, I exit the Gryffindor common room, making sure not to wake anyone.

...

Sadly for me, the Ravenclaw common room is buzzing with life already. Even the hum of talking causes me to groan. Everything is too much for me right now- how on earth does anyone drink Firewhiskey and then proceed to be okay the next day?

I head straight up to the girls dormitory, straight into a shower, and then change into new clothes. When I come back down to the common room, it is now 7:45. I feel better after my shower, and after I've brushed my teeth. My head is still slightly sore, though. Merlin, I bet I made a show of myself last night. I try not think too much about it, as the thought makes me feel anxious.

I find Jason in the common room, sitting on the couch, looking over a book. I head straight to him, but he doesn't seem to acknowledge me, which strikes me as odd. I poke his shoulder, which finally makes him look away from his book.

"Oh, hey," he says, closing his book. He looks at me a little oddly- almost hurt.

"Are you okay?" I question him immediately after noticing his expression.

"Yeah," he sighs. "No." He shakes his head. "I heard you went to the Gryffindor party," he says.

I frown, but nod my head.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going?" he asks.

My frown deepens. "I didn't realize I _had _to," I admit. "I mean, I know I should have told you I was going. Everything kind of just _happened." _

"I was worried when you didn't come back," he tells me, looking slightly angry. He looks as though he wants to say something else, but instead he lets out a huff. After a few minutes of silence, he finally says: "I feel like you'd rather spend time with James then me." Now, he looks hurt again, and I feel awful.

"That's not true," I say. Is it, though? My chest tightens at the thought- how can I be such a horrible person? Jason's my boyfriend and I _have _been spending more time with James than him. He has every right to be angry and hurt at this.

He sighs. "I don't want to be _that _kind of boyfriend, but I get worried when you spend so much time with him," he admits, avoiding my gaze. "And it's not that I don't trust you- it's _him _I don't trust."

"Jason, James and I are _just _friends," I reassure him. "We've always been friends. Sort of- honestly, James and I have a complicated relationship, actually. Only two months ago I couldn't stand him- _besides_," I say when I realize I'm rambling, "I love you, not James."

Jason freezes, his head snapping up to look at me. He blinks, processing what I just said. I feel my body go cold- Oh, no. I swallow nervously, hating his gaze on me right now. Why the hell did I say that? We haven't been going out that long- I should _not _have said that. However, I do feel strongly about Jason, and I do love him. I shouldn't have said it aloud, though.

Merlin, he's going to break up with me.

"You... love me?" he asks, a shocked expression on his face.

Stiffly, I nod my head, but I feel my stomach churning. I've never said those words to _anyone _before, and meant it in the way I meant it towards Jason. His expression slowly softens.

He smiles, and I feel myself relax slightly. "I love you, too," he whispers. He lets out a cough, his cheeks turning pink. I can't hold back the smile that emerges onto my face- he _loves _me. "Uh, _anyway_," he says, looking flustered, "we're going to Hogsmeade next week. And, um, well, my parents will be around..." Holy hippogriff, he's cute when he's flustered, I decide.

"You want me to meet your parents?"

He nods his head. "They really want to meet you," he tells me.

I'm about to agree, but then I frown. "I can't," I mutter, feeling suddenly down. "I have detention every Saturday for a month."

He looks slightly crestfallen at this. "Oh. Okay," he replies. "Maybe another time."

"I'm really sorry," I apologize, only now regretting what I did to Carter- not because I hit him, per say, but because of the fact that I miss our Hogsmeade trip, _and _I have detention.

He forces a smile. "It's fine," Jason says. "Want to go get breakfast now?"

I nod my head, eager to eat some food- and get a drink of water. Merlin, alcohol makes you _very _thirsty, apparently. Also, food sounds absolutely wonderful right about now.

...

A week passes, nothing happening- except, the weather becomes much colder as we head closer to November. There's a buzz around the school as Halloween approaches. However, I don't find myself too hyped up for it. What I'm anxious for, is my father's anniversary. It lands exactly a week before Halloween, and as they day grows closer, I find myself feeling down.

I feel myself isolating myself from the others, but I can't stop. How can _any _of them understand what I'm feeling, when even I'm unsure. I miss my father, but I also resent him for leaving us. How can someone do that? To this day, I still don't know _why _he committed suicide. It hurts just to think about.

When the day does arrive, I don't speak to anyone- in fact, I wake up earlier than usual, and although it's cold, I head to the lake with my notebooks full of poetry. I even bring a few books so that I can study- I just need time to myself.

I want to talk to Jason about it, but I can't bring myself to mention it, and he doesn't ask either.

However, after he expressed his feelings about me spending too much time with James, I've spent more and more time with him. I even sit with him at breakfast and lunch- I still spend dinners at the Gryffindor table, though.

The grass is full of morning frost, and my shoes are soaked by the time I reach the willow tree- which, sadly, is beginning to lose its leaves. My toes are numb, and I bring my scarf up to my nose, sort of happy it's a Sunday, and that I only have one more detention to get through before I'm free. I tuck my knees up to my chest and stare out at the lake.

Eight years. I can't process that it's been eight years since he died. Would he be proud of Alex and I today?

I spend hours alone, not feeling the time pass. Although I brought the notebooks down to read poetry, I find myself doodling over blank pages instead. _I wish he was here_. I wonder how Alex is feeling. Sometimes he seems as resentful as I am, but other times he seems... fine. I suppose we deal with it differently- after all, I'm the one who found him hanging. The picture burns at the back of my mind, and I feel like I'm going to be sick again.

Part of me knows I'll never be okay after that.

I close my book, feeling frustrated.

I hear a cough behind me, and I turn my head to see James approaching me.

"We were wondering where you were," he says, sitting down next to me under the tree. "Jason's been asking us all where you are."

"Sorry, I just..." I don't finish the sentence, because honestly, I'm not sure what I need. Do I want to be alone, or do I want company?

"Yeah," he says quietly. "Alex told me it's your dad's anniversary. I'm sorry. I told Jason about that, and I said you probably needed to be alone."

I shake my head. "Thank you- and don't be sorry," I reply.

"I am, though," he tells me. "It can't be easy. I can't imagine my dad dying- I don't even like to think about it."

We sit in silence for a few minutes, listening to the wind and the birds singing in harmony. I'm cold, but I don't care much. I just want this day to be over so I can go back to being... somewhat normal. At least when this day is over I can stop thinking of dad as much as I do on his anniversaries. I think of mum for a little bit, hoping she's okay. She never found these days easy.

"What was he like?" James finally asks.

A small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth as I remember dad when he was alive. "He was so nice," I tell him. "He was crazy about quidditch- he took us to as many games as he could. He was kind to everyone he met- which people find surprising because he was a Slytherin. He loved taking us on walks through forests, and he..." My voice cracks as I force myself not to cry, my throat tightening. "He was wonderful."

James places a hand on my shoulder, and I take a deep breath. "He sounds like he was great."

"He was," I say, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand- I've never cried in front of anyone at Hogwarts, and I don't want to start today.

"It's okay to be upset," James reminds me, as though sensing my thoughts.

"I'm not upset," I reply. "I _hate _him," I grumble. Okay, not entirely true, but I feel angry.

"Can I ask what happened?"

I look to James through tear filled eyes, hating myself for crying. James looks more concerned than curious about my reaction. I bite my lip, wondering if I can talk to James about this. Again, I take a deep breath, a lump forming in my throat. "He killed himself," I manage to say, before I begin crying. I cover my face with my hands, my feelings flooding through me like a river after a damn bursts. I can't stop them, no matter what.

I feel James wrap his arms around me in an effort to comfort me. "Why wasn't I good enough for him to stay?" I sob into his chest. I want to stop crying, but I can't- I wish I could because I feel embarrassed for allowing myself to cry in front of someone, but it's like now that I've opened up that door, there's no closing it.

James pushes me away from him a bit, forcing me to look at him. "Don't ever think you're not good enough," he tells me. "You can't think that, Mia. I'm sure he loved you so much- you can never know what's going through a persons mind. Just don't ever think you're not enough for someone."

"I'm sorry," I say, wiping my eyes, my chest feeling rather empty.

He lets out a light laugh. "Why are _you _sorry?" he asks, wiping away a tear I had missed with his thumb.

"I've never told anyone about what happened my father before," I admit. "I didn't mean to just throw that all at you."

"Mia, I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what," James says honestly. "We all are. You're not alone- you have us, and we all care about you so much."

I find my eyes watering again- this time at what he said. It feels nice to be reassured that you have friends, and people who care for you. Sometimes it's what you need to hear the most in the world. Especially if you're like me, and you doubt yourself way too much.

"Thank you," I whisper hoarsely.

I lean back against the trunk of the tree, and James follows my actions. We sit in silence, both appreciating each others company.

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**So sad- I'm really curious about your opinion on this chapter. I know it's much shorter than my other chapters, but I wanted it to be an emotional one, where Mia finally opens up.**

**Also, _guys _ ! I know Jason didn't seem like a great boyfriend in the last chapter- I wanted an excuse for Mia to accidentally say she loves him! I was like... but it's too soon, but then I remembered my friend said I love you to her boyfriend after like two weeks (and yes, they're still together over a year later), so I guess there's no real wrong time to say I love you to someone. Idk just my opinion, because I know a lot of readers are like "ugh, really?" probably :P **

**Also, I have a playlist made as I write this story... it's all sad movie scores (instrumental), and classical pieces... it finally fits a chapter seeing as this chapter was sad.. :0**

**Anyway, replies:**

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**Yay for Jia: breathe, friend, breathe! haha**

**Jessica: Everyone is at this stage! It's long overdue I'd say! I'm trying to push along the story now, so that you guys can finally get what you've been wishing for! :P **

**lifeismorethanjustaprettyface: Oh, read my above statement if you haven't already- i needed an excuse :P but i think it's cool you caught onto that. James is always adorable when Jason's not around, like again in this chapter! :P Ohh, I'm gonna have a chapter actually which discusses Mia and her friends more in dept- well, sorta anyway. I'm so so sorry- i just personally hate really rushed stories- I find it more fun to write to the build up, as I always get writers block after i get a pair together. However, I already have the last chapter in this fic planned out, so hopefully that doesn't happen! **

**Haley: I may be a cliche, but I'm not _that _cliche :P **

**Alex: he does care, as seen in this chapter! :) **

**NerdfighteriMIA: ugh so do i! I was so embarrassed writing that chapter tbh! I enjoy destroying peoples feelings with my writing tbh :P **

**Cara Lavender: heheh .. yeaahhh ... ;D **

**Guest (1): Ah thank you! :) **

**Guest (2): you'll have to wait and see im afraid :D**

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**comment for more, please and let me know what you guys think! **


	17. Chapter 17

I head up to the common room, shivering from being out in the cold so long. The warmness of the castle burns my skin, as the numbness begins to fade away.

When I walk in, Jason sits up, for once noticing my presence before I'm close to him. I can tell from the look on his face that he's been waiting for me to come back to the common room- I appreciate the gesture. I head straight over to him, wrapping my arms around him- both for comfort and warmth.

"How're you feeling?" he asks, wrapping his arms around me in return.

I sigh into his chest, enjoying the warmth. "I'm okay," I reply honestly. In fact, after I had opened up to James, I had felt miles better. I'm not entirely sure why I locked those feelings inside of me for so long. Part of me wishes it was Jason I had opened up to, rather than James. Honestly, I can't even open up to Eleanor about this and I've been best friends with her from the moment we arrived at Hogwarts.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here," he whispers.

I shake my head. "I'm fine, honestly," I reply. I close my eyes, stifling a yawn. "Right now, I just want to sleep."

"Do you want to go up to the dormitory?" Jason asks.

Again, I shake my head. "You're a nice pillow," I mumble.

I feel his chest vibrate as he laughs in response to this.

* * *

The excitement for Halloween is seen all around Hogwarts. Halloween morning, as usual, we're greeted by live bats flying around the Great Hall. Some people, including Calverny, wear those muggle witches hats that look absolutely ridiculous you _have _to laugh. The ghosts around Hogwarts seem to be livelier (maybe a bad word choice) than usual. Everyone's excited for this evenings feast, and I find I am too.

Seeing as it's Sunday, no one has to worry about classes for the day.

However, thanks to an upcoming match in two weeks, Jason has ordered that we train today seeing as the pitch will be empty. At twelve, I'm down in the pitch along with my other teammates, shivering from the downpour of rain. Each drop is like an icy needle, and I suddenly hate my love for quidditch- it is _freezing_. I suppose it would be because (1) we're in Scotland, and (2) it's winter tomorrow.

Jack stands beside me, waiting to begin practice with his other beater- or for orders from Jason. Right now, he has his fellow chasers flying up and down the field, practicing some skills such as the Hawkshead Attacking formation, or the Porksoff Ploy. Jason had perfected the reverse pass long ago, so he leaves that trick out.

I wriggle my fingers in my keeper gloves, trying to keep them from going numb.

"I feel like Jason is punishing us," he grumbles, jumping up and down on the spot.

"It's just Jason," I say. "He's determined to make sure we win this year- you know, he's trying to get recruited by the Montrose Magpies."

"They'll want him, not a doubt about it," Jack says, swinging his bat around. "Me? I'm hoping Puddlemore United notice me." He looks to me. "You have any teams you want to notice you?"

"I think being noticed by the Holyhead Harpies would be pretty cool," I tell him. "Or maybe the Tutshill Tornados."

"Now that's one hell of a team- no one can ever forget Plumpton." He holds up three fingers to my face. "_Three _seconds it took him to catch the snitch. He is a living _legend_."

"No one will ever live up to that," I agree, smiling.

Jenny, who had been standing on the other side of Jack pops her head out to look at me. Her nose is red, and her cheeks tinged pink from the cold. "I could _totally _beat Plumpton's score! I could catch the snitch in _two _seconds."

"Glad you're feeling so confident, Jen," Jason says, flying down to us, his hair plastered to his forehead, his clothes completely soaked through. He brushes his hand through his hair, looking enthusiastic. "But save it for the match," he warns her. "We're going to have a little match to warm you guys up."

"How the hell do you sound so happy?" Jack says, lightly tapping Jason with his bat. "It feels like it's minus ten degrees out."

Jason laughs, avoiding being hit with the bat again by Jack. "You guys just don't appreciate Quidditch as much as I do."

"No, Jason, we just don't appreciate the cold," I correct him, flicking water from my hands onto his face.

"You guys need to suck it up," he says, a little seriously. "We have a match in less than two weeks, and chances are, the weather is going to be much worse." There's one fact about Jason when it comes to Quidditch: he takes it _much _too seriously. I can't blame him, really, seeing as this is an important year for him. Still, I wish he'd go back to being more enthusiastic like he was a few moments ago.

"Sorry, boss," Jack says, swinging himself onto his broom easily. "From now on we won't complain about the horrible, crap, cold, stupid weather."

Jack grins down at Jason who is forcing himself not to smile. "Just shut it, Jack," he decides, finally laughing. "Come on, let's play some Quidditch."

...

The warm water from the shower burns me, and I wince. I hate the cold. I hate how warm the castle is in comparison to outside, and how the warmness makes your skin feel as though it's on fire. It's only one hour until the feast, and finally, after five hours of non-stop training, Jason finally let us go. It took a lot of complaining on Jack's part to make Jason see sense.

My body aches with fatigue, my muscles sore from our long, vigorous training.

I can see how worked up Jason is- he's a lot more nervous than he's letting on. I think last years loss really got to him, and now he's trying hard to make up for it. I remind him, as we walk back to the castle together after training, that he's an excellent player, and that one loss doesn't mean he's not. He just smiles in response to this, but I can see his doubt.

After my shower, I decide to wait for Jason in the common room.

Jack sits down next to me, which surprises me a little- not because we don't get along, but because we hardly talked outside of the quidditch pitch. He's looking at me, deep in thought.

"I don't want to be rude or anything," he says, "but do you think Jason's gonna choose you as captain next year because you two are going out now?"

I stare blankly at him. My eyebrows furrow together. "I never actually thought about it," I reply. Which is pretty true- our rivalry for the captain spot next year had completely vanished from my mind. "But you know Jason would choose fairly, right?"

Jack nods, looking uncertain. "Yeah, I know," he admits. "Being captain would be pretty amazing."

"We could always co-captain," I suggest, with a soft smile. "We could work together, and just forget the title."

He grins. "We could kill the newbies enthusiasm for quidditch, you and I." He chuckles a little. "Sorry, I've just been thinking about it a lot when you two started going out."

"Hey, you've seen him out on the pitch- Jason is a completely different person on the pitch than he is outside of it."

Jack agrees, laughing.

"I really hope you mean that in a good way," Jason says, announcing his presence. He sits on the other side of me, running his hands through his just washed hair.

"Of course I do," I say, making a face to Jack, who laughs.

"Are you two coming down to the feast?" Jack asks, standing up. "We were hoping to get the team to sit together- Jenny's already told the others."

Jason looks to me, waiting for my answer. Naturally he assumes I'd want to sit with my friends. However, seeing as it's Jason and Jenny's final year in Hogwarts, I make the decision to join them for one final Halloween together.

Although we're a close team when it comes to time down at the stadium, I realize we don't spend much time outside of it. Bar maybe Jenny and Jason who have been friends for a long time. I wonder if I should be jealous of that, as Jason was with James and I.

The Great Hall is completely full- bats soar over our heads, the night sky looms over us, the weather outside stormy. Lightning flashes through the hall, dazzling everyone for a moment.

The feast itself is so magnificent, I don't know where to begin myself.

"Jason, don't you think a five hour training session was a wee bit excessive," Jenny says, as we sit down across from her. Amanda, one of the new chasers, sits alongside her; Jack sits in between me and his fellow beater, Lucas, and our final member, Frank, sits beside Jason.

All of us enjoy sweets from the sweet-filled pumpkins, and I marvel at how festive the castle looks. Having gone home every year for Christmas so far, I never got to see what the castle looks like at Christmas, so this is the only holiday in which I see Hogwarts full of excitement for a feast, bar the first day. The hall is a sea of orange and black, adding to the Halloween theme.

After the feast, the ghosts make their annual appearance, gliding through the crowd, making the hall look like something from a muggle horror book. I watch Helena Ravenclaw mope around the table, looking as miserable as ever. Although she can be quite depressing, I quite enjoy Helena's company on the rare occasions she does acknowledge students.

I don't think people appreciate her enough, if I'm being truthful. After all, she is the one who helped Harry Potter find the Lost Diadem, even if she did tell him in a riddle of hers. Without her help, Voldemort wouldn't have been defeated.

"If I ever run away, please don't come find me and kill me if I refuse to come back," I say to Jason thoughtfully, seeing how miserable the Grey Lady looks. "And then don't kill yourself in regret."

Jason, confused, follows my gaze to Helena, and then realizes why I'm saying this. "It would be pretty awkward if we came back to haunt the same place, stuck with one another for eternity after I killed you," Jason replies, stealing a sweet from the pumpkin before him. "Well, I'd be okay with seeing you all the time, but I don't think you'd be too happy."

"Not if you killed me," I admit. "I think that would cause a pretty big fight."

"I think so, too," he says, and we both laugh. "You know we're together a month in a few days," he informs me.

"Really?" I ask, surprised. He nods his head with a smile. "It hasn't felt that long."

"And, my parents are coming to the match," Jason tells me. It isn't odd for parents to come and watch these matches- in fact, my mother has been to a few. I decide I'm going to write to her and ask her to come, too, and finally tell her I have a boyfriend in that same letter. It's long overdue that she knows. "If you're still up for meeting them, of course."

I swallow nervously. Although I'd love to meet his parents, it also makes me anxious. "I hope they like me."

"You're hard not to like."

* * *

**So, I find I'm running into a writers block, friends. Although I _know _where the story is heading, I'm finding it hard to fill in the chapters that lead up to that. Plus, I've had a really awful day, so writing this is such an effort right now. My head's been aching so badly... D: So, i know what i'm writing for the next chapter, ofc, (the match), but i also kind of want to push this story along as i have very big plans involving Christmas, so yay for it finally being winter in this story :D**

**also, im so so happy to see my reviewer and follower count go up! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story- i love you all so much!**

**Also, thanks to the person who added this to a community! I just noticed that yesterday, so bless you ! **

**Replies:**

* * *

**demi-shadow-tribute: I have things involving Jason and Mia which may or may not surprise you! However, I ship Jia too, so don't worry :P **

**lifeismorethanaprettyface:ahh i'm so glad to hear (read?) you say that! I make characters a little hard to hate sometimes- i feel like people always put people into good and bad, but can never seem to accept a person can be both. "there is Both light and dark inside all of us". **

**iliveinnerdfighteria: thank you :D yeah i find i get bored when a character gets with a person... idk why. There's something quite fascinating about the build up to that moment... but that's just my opinion of course! Aha yeah i get you! :) **

**Cara Lavender: Sorry about the Jason x Mia ! :P **

**Yay for Jia: thank you so much :) **

**Haley: My first Jason x Mia hater! Thank you :P **

**Alex: maybe. We'll see how it all plays out... heh ;D**

**Guest: Agh thanks a million! :) **

**Alice Monita: Yeah, Jason and Mia are quite cute... what a shame... :P yeah i feel like people often make their characters the victim, and it can be overdone, so I was like.. you know what, Mia isn't perfect- she's human after all. Oh, do I? My bad... NO, I don't.. I don't have anyone to do so, I'm afraid! Well, just because I know the ending, or how I want a chapter to go, doesn't mean I don't take into consideration the requests of my readers! I've often changed things slightly, to keep a reviewer satisfied, but at the end of the day, it _is _my story (Gosh that sounds so rude i am so so sorry) so I kind of... it's like, when I get an idea, I find it hard to change it, if you get me? All I see is the end goal, and not much else. Idk if that makes sense? However, I do read every single suggestion / review, and I take them into deep consideration. Without reviewers, I don't think I would have continued this story, tbh! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Ravenclaw verses Hufflepuff**

I drum my fingers nervously on the Gryffindor table, feeling anxious for today's match. The weather outside is freezing, and snow falls heavily. Although it's warm inside, I shiver from anticipation. I can almost feel the snow against my skin, numbing my body. No one had expected the snow to fall so early in November, yet there it was, on the day of our first match.

I had planned to sit with my team, but upon seeing the crowd of Ravenclaw's, I decided against that idea. Merlin knows I don't want to think about today's match. Jason had us training nearly all night after Hufflepuff had finished training, and then made us wake at four this morning for _extra _training.

The breakfast in front of me makes me stomach churn.

Today, Rose, Dani, and Eleanor have painted blue and bronze onto their face in support for me. Even James is sporting my scarf, although compared to the red and gold of Gryffindor, the Ravenclaw scarf looks strange on him.

"Mia, you need to eat," Rose says, pushing my plate closer to me- scrambled eggs, toast, rashers. All of it looks gross to me right now, but she is right. It's important to maintain my energy for the match later.

I begin to eat, but a little cautiously. I really don't want to puke the day of the match, after all.

Mum had agreed to coming to my match, and sounded delighted that I had a boyfriend. I'm not entirely eager to meet Jason's parents- what if they _do _hate me? Jason may have said it's hard not to like me, but I'd bet him five galleons that it's quite easy to dislike me. I really want to make Jason's parents like me. _And,_ I hope my mum likes Jason. However, seeing as she likes James, she really can't hate Jason.

Alex comes running down to us, holding a letter in his hand, looking over the moon. "Mia, Mia!" He shoves the letter into my face, grinning. I take it from his hand, not able to read it so closely to my eyes.

I read it, confused for a minute, until I realize the meaning of the letter.

"You told mum?" I ask, eyes wide.

"Yes!" He takes the letter back, holding it close to him, looking relieved.

"You told her what?" James asks curiously.

"I told her about _me_," Alex explains. "And also Fred. And she's okay with it! She actually said she's happy for me!"

James claps Alex onto the back, congratulating him. I find myself smiling, truly happy for my brother. "She's coming to the match today," I tell him. "She's staying in Hogsmeade for the weekend, too. Seeing as we're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, I think we should spend time with her."

Alex nods in agreement. "I don't see why not."

...

"Okay, guys. This is the moment we've been waiting for," Jason says, clapping his hands together, as we sit around him in the changing rooms. My stomach is turning, and my leg won't stop shaking. "We've been practicing for this day for the last two months, and I really think we can do this. Before we go out, I just want to say good luck to each of you. I know you'll all do a fantastic job out there."

"Nice speech, cap'n," Jack says, standing up, looking excited for the match. "Now, let's go out and kick some Hufflepuff ass."

"Couldn't have said it better, Jack," Jenny says, ruffling his brown hair. He swats her hand away, looking annoyed, but also a little amused.

I walk over to Jason when I notice how nervous he looks. I place a hand onto his shoulder. "We've got this, Jason."

He places his hand over mine, giving it a gentle squeeze, looking thankful towards me. "Okay, time to begin," he announces, heading over to the door to the entrance of the pitch. "Just remember, right now, Gryffindor are 270 points up- Jenny, try keep from catching the snitch too early. We want to pass Gryffindor out as soon as possible. Mia, try save as many goals as possible. And Amanda, and Frank? Score as much as you can. Jack, Lucas, knock them all out if you can- especially Nathan. He's their best chaser." We all nod, accepting these final notes from Jason.

The Door to the pitch begins to open, and we're greeted with the crowd cheering us on. Caoimhe announces our team. I mount my broom, before I follow Jason out onto the pitch- the wind howls, the snow burns my skin, and the crowd cheers loudly. I feel myself smiling, as I fly over to the rings. It sure as hell feels good to be playing a real match again.

Everyone takes their places, and I watch Madam Hooch make Jason and Rachel, Hufflepuff captain, and beater, shake hands. Once they're in their places, Hooch releases the snitch; then the bludgers; and then, signalling the beginning of the match, Hooch releases the quaffle. The game has started.

In seconds, Nathan has the quaffle, passes it to Alice, who, when given the opportunity, passes it quickly back to Nathan, throwing our chasers off a little. However, Jason quickly gets over this, and slams Nathan with his own body, forcing Jason to take a right turn. I notice the other Hufflepuff chaser, Alana, flying beneath Jason and Nathan- probably so that Nathan can drop the quaffle to her.

I watch as a bludger goes flying towards her, hits the side of her, causing her to fly off of her broom. I look to Jack for a second, seeing him shrugging, looking triumphant. However, the crowd gasps as Alice plummets to the ground.

I can't focus on that for long, as Jason and Nathan are still in a hustle, making their way closer to our posts.

Amanda whizzes down to catch up with Jason and Nathan, blocking Nathan from the other side to throw him off completely. I see him swear, before he dives down, Jason and Amanda following his lead. However, this time, Nathan is much too quick for them. He gets as close as he can to the posts, and I watch him carefully- in these moments, it's as though the world has slowed down around me. I see the flick of his eye, and the twitch of his arm. I watch as he throws the quaffle towards the right ring. I fly, almost diving off of my broom, and catch the quaffle in my hand.

Again, Nathan swears. I feel smug, and make sure to show him a triumphant grin. The Ravenclaw supporters cheer, and I feel my chest grow warm despite the coldness outside.

It makes it better knowing my mother is in the crowd watching me- and also Jason's parents. I hope they liked my save.

Jack and Lucas give me thumbs up, and Jason smiles at me. I pass the quaffle to Frank, who carries it under his arm, looking sharply at the on coming Hufflepuff chasers as the match resumes. They're angry now that they're down a player already.

Jason and Amanda join Franks side, performing the Hawkshead Arrow Formation. Their speed, and swiftness causes the other chasers to swerve to avoid them, leaving the field wide open.

A bludger goes flying towards the three of them, and I let out a gasp as it hits the top of Amanda's broom (which was probably meant for Frank's) causing her broom to snap in half, and for her to fall down to the ground far below. I see her on the ground, not moving- a mix of gasps and cheers erupt from the crowd, and I look up to see Frank pumping his fist into the air. Jason high-fives him, and I feel proud of our new chaser on scoring his first goal, and the first goal of the match.

I quickly glance up to Jenny who's circling the pitch, looking for the snitch, and also observing the matches progress.

The game continues, and soon, the score is 70-50 to Ravenclaw. By now, everyone is getting anxious- there's been no sighting of the snitch, and already two players have been taken to the hospital wing. I hope Amanda is okay- and also Alice, as she is a nice, quiet girl.

I feel the adrenaline pushing me along this match, keeping me in focus.

I can see Jack growing anxious, as the bludgers have been swinging closer at us. Himself and Lucas have been doing a great job at keeping them at bay, but they're quick, and powerful.

Jason flies up to him, as Frank takes another shot, which he scores- so far, Frank has been playing a fantastic game. I feel badly for Amanda as it's her first game and she was sent to the Hospital Wing. Jason whispers something to Jack, looking somewhat angry, and Jack responds by nodding his head, tightening his grip on his bat.

The snow is harsher now, and it's hard to see past the storm in front of us.

I'd say we've been playing for roughly two hours now.

"Has Taylor caught sight of the snitch-? He _has_!" Caoimhe announces. I take a quick look to Taylor, who's now chasing something quickly. Jenny immediately catches up to him, both of them neck and neck. The crowd begins chanting, but I keep my eye on the game, as Alana, the other Hufflepuff chaser, comes down the pitch, her eyes dark and fierce, almost intimidating. Almost.

Just as I dive, and just as the quaffle lands in my hands, I hear the crowd let out a roar. Heart pounding, I look for the seekers, and I see that Jenny has caught the snitch. I whoop loudly, diving down to the ground, and joining my team in celebrating.

Soon enough, our house, and those supporting Ravenclaw, come running down, congratulating us. Jason swings me around, laughing. I hug my other team members, feeling beyond delighted.

"Mia!" I hear Alex calling me through the crowd. I head over to him, seeing him closely followed by mum.

"Mum!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around her.

"That was such a fantastic game, Mia!" she says. "You played brilliantly!"

"Thanks, mum," I say, smiling widely.

"Mia," I hear someone say. I turn and see Jason walking towards me, followed by two other people, who I can only assume are his parents. I feel my stomach twist at the sight of them, and I suddenly wished I could have met them when I looked better. However, they're smiling, looking proud of their son.

"So, this is Jason," my mum says when he reaches us.

Jason stretches out his hand formally, looking suddenly nervous. "Nice to meet you Mrs Johnson," he says as she takes his hand. "These are my parents, Jacqueline, and Mark Edwards."

"What a pleasure to meet you both," my mother says, shaking both their hands. "I'm Mia's mother, Louise Johnson."

"Lovely to meet you both," I say to them, taking their hands in greeting. Merlin, I really wish I had a shower.

"You are a wonderful player," Mrs Edwards says. "Jason always spoke so highly of you."

"Mum!" he exclaims, his cheeks turning pink. I nudge him, smiling. Jason spoke of me to his parents, _before _we even went out. I feel happy about that for some resason- _and _he spoke highly of me.

"I've heard a bit about Jason, too," Mum admits. Now it's my turn to feel embarrassed- mum isn't lying. Being on the same team as me, Jason has come up quite a bit in conversation. This time Jason nudges me.

I realize how awkward we both act, not sure the appropriate way to display ourselves to each others parents. I'm fully aware I must stink, and my clothes are wet from the falling snow, and I'm _freezing_.

"It's quite chilly, isn't it?" Mr Edwards says, which begins a delightful conversation about the weather.

"Are you two staying in Hogsmeade?" Jason asks his parents, when nothing else can be said of the weather.

"Yes, yes," Mrs Edwards replies. "I had been hoping we could take you both to lunch tomorrow," she says to Jason and I.

"Oh," I say, looking to my mum. "My mother is staying as well. Maybe we can all go to lunch together?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Mrs Edwards says. "It would be delightful to get to know you all better. Louise, would you like to get tea later?"

"Of course," my mum replies.

"We should probably let you two change- it's absolutely freezing. We don't want you to catch a cold, now do we?" Mr Edwards says.

Mrs Edwards kisses me on both cheeks, and I shake Mr Edwards hand again, and then I hug my mother goodbye. Jason and I run (or skid occasionally) over to the dressing rooms, where we're greeted by the rest of our team.

"Jason, I'm so sorry about catching the snitch too early," Jenny says the moment we enter.

Jason waves his hand in dismissal. "It's fine, Jen," he reassures her. "After all, we did win this match. And, Gryffindor are only fifty points ahead of us at the moment." He sits down on the bench, pulling off his shoes. "Our next match is Slytherin, which won't be easy. We'll just have to win by as much as we can." I begin peeling my clothes off me, cringing because of my numb hands, and the clothes stuck to my body. "That's not until February, though. Look, we're going to continue training as normal until Christmas break. Over the holidays, I want you guys to practice- Frank, Jack, I know you guys are muggleborn, and can't, but once we get back, try some private training as well."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Jack replies, raising his hand to his forehead in salute.

"After we're done, let's all visit Amanda," I say. "I hope she's okay."

"Madam Promfrey will have a fit if we all go in," Jenny says, pulling her shirt over her head.

It occurs to me, that after many training sessions together, you no longer care about getting dressed in front of anyone. However, being newbies, Frank and Lucas's eyes widen, and they look away quickly.

"As a team we have to have each others backs," Jason reminds her.

"And, it's pretty funny when Madam Promfrey starts giving out," Jack pitches in with a grin.

I sit down alongside Jason, pulling on a pair of fresh socks, finally feeling somewhat warm again. "You talked highly of me, huh?" I grin at him, and he rolls his eyes, smiling.

He throws something at my face, and I pull it away, and make a face when I realize it's his quidditch socks- I wrinkle my nose at the smell, and throw it back at him. "Ew, Jason," I exclaim, rubbing my hand, which held the sock, off of his new shirt. "Don't be so gross! Your sock stank."

"I'm sure yours smell like daisies," he replies sarcastically, picking up his sock, and stuffing it into his bag.

"I bet they smell better than yours," I say. "Wanna find out?" I wriggle my eyebrows at him, holding it up to his face, feeling giddy after the match.

"And you called _me _gross?" he laughs, swatting the sock away from him.

"You started it," I remind him.

He sticks his tongue out at me, before kissing me.

"Oi!" Jack yells, causing Jason and I to pull away from one another. We look to him, and I raise an eyebrow when I see him covering Lucas's eyes. "There are newbies in this room- no PDA, thank you very much."

Jason and I look to one another, and at the same time, we pick up our training socks, and throw them at Jack, who jumps back, protecting his face from the in coming attack of socks.

"_Rude," _he exclaims, and we all laugh at his horrified expression.

* * *

**Fun fact about Caoimhe: In this story she is the adopted daughter of Dean and Seamus :3 Deamus is my life tbh**

**Agh okay, so i've been pretty happy with the last few chapters in terms of Mia's development. Like, in the first few chapters she's very closed up, and pretty serious. Now, she's beginning to loosen up, and I feel proud of my OC even though I'm writing this lmao **

**Also, sorry for the lack of James in the last two chapters! You might enjoy the next chapter, though! :) **

**Replies: **

* * *

**Cara Lavender: Yes exactly! It totally sucks tbh :/ I hate writing filler chapters where nothing happens ! **

**Guest: Ah thank you so much! It's not terrible, but it's making my chapters shorter :( This one is almost back to 3k words so i'm going okay again... even if it's not 3k+. Almost there, though! **

**Alice Monita: Thank you so much :) ohhh no dont worry, I just wanted to explain that I really do listen to my readers and their wants. I think it's important to listen to suggestions given to you. Aha, yeah I know that feeling quite well, friend. No ship I ship has become canon ever, so it sucks :P RIP Bellarke, Makorra, Jasico, Pipabeth, Deamus, Drarry, Choluna, etc. **

**Yay for Jia: So so sorry about the lack of James! He might not be in the next chapter much, but he will be mentioned in a very important conversation which may make you happy?**

**Son of Whitebeard: Thank you :3 **

**Beetle126: Agh that means a lot, thank you :D**

**Haley: Well, that's pretty okay with me :D**

**Lifeismorethanaprettyface: Nah, just Jenny, Jason and Jack :P The rest are non-J names :P I quite like Jack! So, I'm glad you like him, too :D Oh god, I would but I know if I take a break, I'll forget about continuing this, and then I'll be back in Uni, and I hate writing during the Uni year ! But luckily, I am off of Uni for eight months from January-August due to Coop! So, I'll be able to write again- maybe even more next-gen fics? Perhaps one revolving around Fred and Alex? (just a short story?), and also a couple of chapters from James' POV! It did help, so thank you :D**


	19. Chapter 19

I walk through Hogsmeade with my mother and Alex, spending time alone with them before mum and I go to lunch with Jason's parents. I shiver from the cold, wishing I had looked for my scarf off of James before I came here. The snow falls in fluffy dots, looking somewhat magical and hypnotic.

"So, Alex, how long have you and Fred been together?" mum asks, as we walk through the cobbled street, avoiding the excited students who don't seem to want to move out of our way.

Alex looks to her, looking embarrassed. We both knew the conversation would be had, but he still looks to the ground, his cheeks red. "We've been going out since the end of last year in Hogwarts," Alex admits quietly. "Um, and thanks for being okay about it."

"Of course I'm okay with it!" she replies with a smile. "Fred is a lovely young man. You could do a lot worse." She links her arms through both of ours, probably to fend off the cold, probably happy to see us both again. "Oh, Mia. You and I received an invitation to Teddy and Victoire's wedding on Christmas day."

"Oh," I say. "Uh, actually, I'm going with James," I tell her.

My mother stops walking, and looks at me as though she might have heard me wrong. "You're going with James?" she asks, looking surprised. "As in James _Potter_?"

"Don't worry, mum, I had the same reaction," Alex reassures her. "Those two are best mates now, somehow."

I shrug my shoulders, but I feel suddenly embarrassed- mostly because of my mothers reaction. "Those two have never been friends," I hear my mother mumble to Alex, who agrees, sounding as confused as she does.

"Actually, he also asked me to spend the few days of the holiday at his place, too," I say, as we continue walking around Hogsmeade. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to go."

"That's fine, dear," mum says. "Speak of the devil himself."

I look ahead, and see James and Fred heading towards us. I'm glad to see James holding my scarf in his hand. It only takes them a few minutes to reach us, but when they do reach us, I see Fred linger behind James, looking nervous. I feel my chest grow warm upon seeing James, which makes me feel even more embarrassed- I'm just glad that it's cold outside, so my probably red tinged cheeks can be excused by the weather. However, I shake the feeling off, feeling confused.

"Mrs Johnson!" James exclaims, delighted to see her. He immediately bends down to hug her, and kisses her cheek in greeting. He's always been quite courteous towards my mum, which makes me feel happy.

Ever since I talked to James about my dad, I find spending time with him one of my favourite things to do. It's like I don't have to be afraid to be myself around him. Actually, James makes me feel comfortable, and almost safe, which is ridiculous. How can someone I only began to like in the last few months make me feel like that? It's absolutely absurd.

"Always a delight to see you around," he says, with a broad smile on his face.

"We were just talking about you, actually," my mother tells him. "Mia just told me you asked her to be your date to your cousins wedding."

"With your permission, of course."

"Of course," she says, smiling. "It's fine with me- and for her to stay at your place. As long as your own parents are okay with that, though, dear."

James waves his hand, dismissing my mothers statement. "It's definitely fine with them, Mrs Johnson."

"Then alright," my mother agrees. "She can stay."

James gives me the thumbs up, grinning. My mother looks between us with a raised eyebrow, still shocked that the two of us are friends now. Honestly, I wish people would stop acting so surprised by this- people can _change _their opinion on someone. I realize I had misjudged James; plus, he finally took his head out of his arse this year, which made it easier to like him.

James' eyes widen. "Oh, Mia-" He raises his hand with the scarf in it, but before I get a chance to take it from him, he wraps it around my neck himself, standing closely in front of me. I feel my cheeks burning for some reason at being this close to James. It smells faintly of James, which causes my heart to speed up for a moment- what on earth is going on?

Something clicks inside my brain, but I shove that thought away. In a short while I will be going to the Three Broomsticks to meet Jason, my _boyfriend_, who I _love_, and his parents, for lunch. I will enjoy it, and I will forget about this stupid moment with James which means absolutely nothing at all.

Has James always had such nice eyes, though?

I take a step back from him, feeling nervous. He raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything.

"Mrs Johnson," James says, joining her as she talks to Fred and Alex; Fred looks less nervous, I note. However, knowing my mum, and from the embarrassed look on Alex's face, I can only imagine what she's saying to them: _"You two are so cute together. How many kids will you adopt? Will you get married?" _Mum can be very blunt sometimes.

Part of me is surprised she didn't begin bothering Jason with a bunch of questions when she met him yesterday.

My mum looks up to James, which is saying a lot. James is quite tall; I'd say he's probably six foot- my mum and I on the other hand are quite small. I'm only five foot three, which makes everyone way _way _taller than me.

"You wouldn't mind if Fred and I stole Alex off of you for awhile?" James asks. "We have important last year errands to run."

"As long as those errands don't bring a note home from school, you can take him all you like," she warns him.

"Wonderful." James pulls my mother into a hug, and she kisses his forehead. Alex and Fred both hug her goodbye too, and they both also get a kiss on their foreheads. I stare after them, my eyes lingering more on James than anyone. Once they're lost in the crowd, my mother and I continue our walk through Hogsmeade.

I find myself frowning at the ground, barely noticing the world around me. Something inside of me feels different- my feelings for James have definitely changed, and it makes me feel anxious. I have a boyfriend. I shouldn't be... I shouldn't be feeling warm inside when I see James. I shouldn't even be thinking of him as much as I am. However, my thoughts are completely occupied by him. The way my scarf smells faintly of him. The way his eyes sparkle. The way he held me as I cried.

I feel as though I'm cheating on Jason. It feels completely wrong. Guilt begins to well up inside of me, and I feel my stomach twist unpleasantly.

"Dear, you look like you're going to be sick," my mother says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

What I love most about my mother is that I can talk to her. However, I don't quite know how to express myself in this situation. I shrug my shoulders. "Mum, I feel like I don't deserve to be with Jason."

My mother raises an eyebrow. "Why in Merlin's name would you say that?"

I sigh. "I think I have stronger feelings for someone else," I admit, my cheeks growing warm. "And Jason is a wonderful person, who's so kind and really smart, and so perfect for me. We like the same things, we get along so well, but..."

"You don't want perfect," mum finishes for me. "You want a little chaos."

I instantly think of James, and the conversation we had. Again, my cheeks grow warm, and my mother gives me a knowing look. "I think you need to end it with Jason."

"I don't want to hurt him," I mumble, tugging on my scarf.

"Look, it's not going to be easy. But it'll hurt more the longer you allow this to go on. Trust me, you should do it soon." I let out a sigh, knowing she's right. Mum checks her watch, and links her arm through mine again. "It's time to meet his parents," she tells me.

...

"So, Mia, what do you plan to do after Hogwarts?" Mrs Edwards asks me, as we eat our lunch. The Three Broomsticks is overly crowded, conversation hard over the sounds of everyone else. I find myself leaning over the table to hear them better.

"I'm not entirely sure," I admit. "I want to play Quidditch professionally, and then go on to join the ministry in the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

"After the match we saw yesterday, I'm sure you can achieve that easily," Mr Edwards says, causing me to smile brightly.

"What about you, Jason? Any plans?" My mother asks.

"I just want to play quidditch, too," he tells her.

"Oh, wouldn't it be something if you two made opposing teams and were up against one another!" Mr Edwards says, clapping his hands together loduly, causing me to jump. "Nothing like a little bit of rivalry!"

"But with the way you two play together," Mrs Edwards coos, "it would be a shame for you two to be rivals. Honestly, you two are very in sync. I don't believe in soulmates myself, but I reckon you two were meant to be."

I choke on my Butterbeer, and begin coughing. _Soulmates?! _No offense to Jason's mother, but I wouldn't go _that _far. She is right, perhaps, about the two of us being in sync, even outside of the arena.

Suddenly, Jason seems... _boring _to me.

My mother is completely right, of course. I don't want someone who is another version of me. I don't want perfect. I need someone who challenges me, who brings out the worst and best in me at once. I realise who I need, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. The person I need, and who I want to be with is James Potter, not Jason. I feel my stomach unravel itself when I come to that conclusion.

James may be the biggest twat to walk the planet, and he may have his head in his ass ninety percent of the time- but I've grown to like who he is. I've seen another side to him the last few months, a side I've never experienced before. I think of every moment I've spent with him this year, and I feel butterflies explode in my stomach, right up to my chest, until I feel completely warm inside again.

I drink more butterbeer as the coughing dies down.

Coming to this conclusion as I meet my _boyfriends_ parents for the first time isn't something I thought would ever happen. In fact, it's not something I ever thought would happen.

I think back to the Gryffindor Party and how jealous I had been when I saw James with another girl. I had brushed off the feeling at the time, but now I'm starting to realise why I've been feeling the way I have.

It's so obvious I want to punch myself for not realizing it sooner.

With a start, I realise that everyone at the table is looking at me.

"I'm sorry- what?" I ask quickly, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

"Mr and Mrs Edwards just asked would you be coming over for the holidays this year?" my mother informs me.

"Oh," I reply. "Well, I've actually been invited to a wedding during the holidays, but I'm sure I'll be free after Christmas."

I think again of my new realized feelings, and realise that Jason and I might not even be together for that long. I can't do this- I can't hurt him either. I feel like slamming my head down on the table, but that might cause a bit of concern.

Instead, I finish the last of my Butterbeer, looking forward to this day ending.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alex asks me later that day, as I walk around Zonko's with him, browsing the many items displayed on the shelves. Fred and James have wandered off somewhere else in the shop, and Jason returned to Hogwarts to go study some more. I feel bitter about all the studying he's been doing, which makes me feel selfish- however, if hadn't spent so much time studying the last few weeks, maybe I wouldn't have spent so much time with James. Then, this whole mess never would have happened.

Well, the mess inside my head over my feelings, anyway.

"For the millionth time, Alex, I'm fine," I assure him, picking up a black box with a question mark on it. I give it a shake, and hear a little rattle, and then place the box back down. Merlin knows what's in the box.

"You've been acting strange since you've come back to us," he says, nudging me. "Did Jason's parents not like you, or something?"

"No, they liked me. They were nice. Everything was nice."

"Just _nice_?" He glances over his shoulder to the other two boys. He leans in a little closer to me. "I know it's none of my business, but are you sure you even like Jason?" I look sharply to him, narrowing my eyes, feeling defensive. "I mean, he's your first boyfriend, after all. Maybe you just like... the idea."

"I like the _idea_ of being with Jason?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to even mean?"

"Look, I'm going to be honest with you- people like Jason seem great at first, but people like him..." He trails off, sighing.

I feel my defenses going up, and I fold my arms looking pointedly at him. "What would _you_ know of people like him?" I snap. "In fact, if anything, Jason is absolutely perfect for me. Just because you might have been with someone _like _Jason doesn't mean Jason is going to be like them." I let out a puff of breath, feeling angry. "You need to keep your nose out of my business-"

"Mia, I wasn't with someone _like _Jason- I _was _with Jason," Alex snaps, silencing me.

I take a step back, my eyes wide. I notice the silence around me, and I feel my stomach twist. I glance around me, and see James and Fred looking between the two of us. A few others in the shop continue on, not realizing anything that has happened.

"You..." My mouth feels dry, and I swallow the lump in my throat. I feel mortified. I feel the blood rush to my head, trying to process what Alex just told me. "You and... Jason..." I can barely hear myself. My mind is trying to work everything out- none of this makes sense.

Alex also takes a step back, his eyes as wide as mine. "Mia, I'm sorry," he whispers. "I... I didn't want to tell you like this," he croaks.

"You were with my boyfriend," I mumble, staring at him, feeling horrified. "Why didn't you say anything before? Why didn't you tell me?" My voice begins to grow louder, and I try to remain calm. "You could have said something!"

I storm out of the shop, feeling sick to my stomach. I hear the three boys chase after me. Alex grabs my arm, forcing me to stop.

"I didn't say anything because I wanted you to be happy," he admits.

"This is so embarrassing!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up into the air, wanting to strangle someone. "And now I'm going to have to go back and face him- and I feel so angry at him! Why didn't anyone tell me?"

I can't even process the situation I'm in- who the hell does this even happen to? I feel like a girl in the weirdest love triangle type thing. My stomach turns- what if Jason still has feelings for Alex and is using me? Oh, Merlin.

"I didn't tell you, because I didn't want to hurt you," Alex says quietly. "I had planned to tell you, but you just seemed a lot happier."

"Well, it most certainly explains why you didn't like the idea of Jason and I," I grumble angrily. I look to him, forcing the next few words out of my mouth- I'm not even sure I want to know. "So, why did you two break up?" I ask, looking icily at my brother, feeling angry at him for not telling me any of this sooner.

I see the hesitation in him as his eyes meet mine. "Mia..." He trails off, seeing my cold stare. "Look, things have changed since third year, alright?" My heart is pounding in my chest; I feel like I'm going to be sick. He sighs, closing his eyes. "He cheated on me."

I feel like someone has punched me in the gut.

"My eyes burn, and I close my eyes, trying to force away the tears. My cheeks still feel hot from embarrassment.

"I'm going back to the castle," I whisper hoarsely, my throat right.

"I can come with-" James begins, taking a step forward before I throw up my hand.

"I want to be alone," I tell him, lowering my gaze to the ground, and turning on my heel. I walk slowly back to the castle, my stomach sick.

I realise that although my feelings for James have become obvious to myself, the feeling inside of me can be nothing other than heartbreak.

* * *

**That's a lot of drama in one chapter- would any of you have guessed this little plot twist? Lmao hopefully not haha **

**Whoa ... So hey. I've been on a hiatus for awhile ! I can explain: UNIVERSITY. it sucks, but that's life people. **

**Anyway, see ' I haven't given up on this story ! Not yet anyway ! **

**PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW FOR MORE**


	20. Chapter 20

My first thought was to head straight to Jason and yell at him until all this anger inside of me is gone, but even the thought of doing that exhausts me. I feel emotionally drained. Instead, my feet drag me to my spot under the weeping willow tree- the bare branches don't do much to shelter me from the cold, but I don't care.

I spend hours there, watching the sky go from grey to darkness. Snow falls heavier now, but I can't make myself move. My feet and hands have grown numb, much like how I feel inside.

How on earth could any of this happen? Does Jason even love me, or was it all some sick lie?

I brush my hands through the grass, the snow turning my hands purple. The last light of the day slowly vanishes, and I watch in silence, listening to the wind and the lake lapping the shore. Everything seems surreal to me. I want to pinch my arm and wake up from this horrid nightmare. I want my brother to come and find me to tell me he's joking with me- but no one comes.

Eventually, when I feel absolutely nothing at all anymore, I force myself to stand. I am soaked, and the cold has seeped into my skin.

The warmth of the castle shocks me, and I feel as though my skin is on fire. I burn all over with the sudden change, and I bite my lip, bearing the pain.

I walk aimlessly in the direction of the Ravenclaw tower, bumping into people, barely registering them at all. My mind is somewhere far away, trying to process today's events.

_My brother and my boyfriend! _

The thought makes me want to vomit. Part of me feels a rage building up inside of me, and I feel the sudden desire to punch a wall. How could they do this to me? How could they keep this from me? I would have thought one of them loved me enough to tell me.

"Mia?" I hear someone call my name, and I blink when I realise the culprit is standing before me.

Jack looks at me in concern. "Are you alright?" he asks.

I stare at him blankly for a moment, and I open my mouth to speak, but instead a small croaky sound pours out of my mouth. I furrow my eyebrows, closing my mouth and shrugging my shoulders instead.

"You look frozen," he tells me, taking off his robe and wrapping it around me. "How long have you been outside?"

"All day," I manage, my voice barely audible with the noise of the hall.

"Are you mental?" he exclaims, touching his hands to my face. "You're like ice!" He wraps an arm around me, guiding me through the crowd. "Come on, let's get you to the Ravenclaw tower and get you warmed up."

I shake my head quickly. "No," I say. "Anywhere but there," I decide.

He turns me around, bringing my gently through the crowd. A few people look on in concern, and curiousness, but mostly everyone ignores us thankfully. He guides me to the Great Hall, which is mostly empty- I assume I've missed dinner at this stage. He brings me to the open fire and sits me on the bench in front of it. I don't care that the fire feels like it's boiling my skin; in fact, I welcome the pain.

"What happened?" he asks as soon as I stop shivering.

I look down at my hands which have now turned red, rather than purple. "I can't tell you," I mumble. "But Jason and I... Well, it's not going to work out anymore."

"What? Why?"

"I can't say," I repeat.

I turn my face so that I'm looking at the fire. I'm afraid that if Jack looks into my eyes he'll know the truth, that he'll see the pain in my eyes and know. Why does it hurt so much? Did I not come to the realization that I have feelings for James?

Still, though, it feels like I've been betrayed by Jason and Alex. Neither of them bothered to tell me this important information. If... If it had been anyone else, perhaps it wouldn't hurt so much, but Alex is my _brother_. I feel disgusted by Jason after hearing this news. In fact, I feel uncomfortable with the thought of being with Jason now. Plus, he _cheated _on my brother, which makes this whole situation a million times worse.

"I'm sorry," Jack says quietly.

I shake my head. "Doesn't matter," I tell him.

"We have training tomorrow morning," Jack reminds me, causing my stomach to turn. "Are you going to be up for it?"

I sigh. "I'm not going to let anything get in the way of my training," I say, clenching my hand into a fist. "Doesn't matter how much of a twat our captain is- quidditch is my life, and I'm not letting him get in the way of that."

* * *

How I wish I stayed true to my words from yesterday.

The numbness I had felt yesterday is now replaced with anger and rage. Early morning, I get up and begin changing into my clothes, glaring at the dark morning sky outside. I grab my broomstick, and march downstairs.

I meet Jack downstairs in the dormitory as we had planned yesterday after sitting together in the Great Hall. No one else is downstairs, thankfully. I know Jason well enough to know he's down at the pitch already.

Jack and I don't speak as we head down to the stadium. The crows caw loudly as the first morning light spills onto the frosty school grounds, which begins to illuminate the morning sky, which is a bleak grey. Thankfully, though, there's no snow this morning. However, snow still blankets the ground from yesterdays downfall.

The closer I get to the pitch, the harder my heart pounds in my chest. All the hurt I felt yesterday becomes stronger, fueling my anger towards Jason.

Jack and I enter the pitch together, and just as we arrive, Jason emerges from the changing rooms.

I bite the inside of my mouth, feeling hateful towards him.

I storm towards him before I can stop myself. Jack follows quickly. Jason smiles upon seeing me, but that quickly vanishes when he sees my anger.

I feel ashamed for what I do next, and glad that no one but Jack is here yet.

My hands rise up, and meet his chest, pushing him backwards. Being strong and tall, my force simply causes him to stumble back a few feet, but there's alarm on his face.

"You are the biggest git I've ever met!" I spit, my eyes burning with hot tears. "What was it Jason? Were you using me this whole time? Was this some revenge on _him_? You absolute arse!" I throw my hand up again, but this time Jack catches it before I can attack Jason again.

"Mia, I'm sorry-"

"You're what?" I interrupt, hating his voice, hating the sadness in his eyes, hating myself for crying. "For hiding this from me? Or are you just sorry I found out?" I yank my arm from Jack's grip, picking up my broom and bag, both of which I had dropped in the process of shoving Jason.

I turn on my heel, feeling angrier than I've ever felt in my life. I was wrong. I can't do this. I can't train. Not like this.

"Mia, please wait," Jason calls.

Jenny and the others are walking towards us, looking confused at the commotion.

"You can bet we're over," I tell Jason, pushing my way through the others. Why am I crying? Merlin, make it stop.

I hear footsteps running after me, and someone catches my wrist. I spin around, ready to shove Jason again, but instead find myself facing Jack. When he looks into my eyes, I lower my own to the ground, still afraid of him seeing the truth in them.

"Don't let him get in the way of training," he tells me, his voice low and determined.

I feel my anger and embarrassment fade for a moment, knowing he's right. I let out a low sigh, and nod my head. With my head held high, I march past Jason and the others, who still look on in confusion, and make my way to the changing rooms. With the last bit of my dignity, I begin to change into my gear. Slowly, the others begin to make their way into the changing rooms to join Jack and I. No one asks what happened, for which I am grateful. I do notice them glancing at me every few minutes though. That was inevitable.

When I finish changing, I wait for Jack, and the two of us head out to the pitch, our brooms perched on our shoulders, Jack lazily carrying his beaters bat.

"You know," he says, swinging his bat, "I have fairly accurate aim." He grins at me. "If you ever need a favor, I'm here to help." He winks at me, causing me to laugh in return to his suggestion.

"I'll keep that in mind," I say, ruffling his hair.

Laughing, the two of us mount our brooms, and training begins, and for a little while, I can forget what happened.

...

When training finishes, Jason tries to talk to me, but of course I ignore him. Jack purposely keeps my focus on him, rambling on and on about anything and everything. I find myself smiling a lot, even if inside I'm hurting.

I head through the castle alone, telling Jack I want to head to the library to do some work. He takes the hint, and leaves me be for a little while. Instead of heading to the library, I wander around the castle, wishing I could just leave this place for once. I feel almost trapped. Everything is suffocating me- the dark castle walls, only illuminated by the fires, the dark clouds outside, the darkness I feel inside of me. It's claustrophobic.

"Mia!"

Again, I look up, barely registering the person before me. Three people stand before me. Dani, Rose, and Eleanor.

"Oh, hey," I say, forcing a smile.

Rose frowns in response to my smile. "James told us you got into a fight with Alex," Rose tells me. "Are you okay?"

"Jason and I broke up," I explain bleakly.

I'm instantly enveloped into a hug. "Merlin, Mia," Dani says, pulling away from the hug, and looking at me in the same concern everyone else wore. "Are you alright-? I mean of course you're not alright. Merlin!"

"What happened?" Eleanor asks.

"I can't say," I admit, once again. "But that doesn't matter." I shake my head. "I'm fine." _Lie_. All of it a lie.

"You're the worst liar," Rose tells me, shaking her head. "Come on, we're not leaving you alone at a time like this," she says, linking her arm through mine. "We're going to the Gryffindor common room, and we're stealing James' sweet stash, and we're going to have a nice long chat about this."

She doesn't give me much of a choice, as already as she's speaking, Rose is dragging me in the direction of the Gryffindor tower. I don't protest, as the idea of being alone isn't exactly that appealing. And maybe I need to see Alex. I need to explain to him how angry and hurt I am at him- I don't want to fight with my brother because of this.

As per usual, James, Fred and Alex are sitting on the red plush couches placed in front of the warm open fire. Three of them look up when I walk in. For some reason, James immediately stands upon seeing me walk into the room. I stare at him for a second, before my gaze lands on Alex. He sits on the edge of his seat now, his mouth parted slightly, holding back the words he wants to say.

I realise something as I stare at Alex. "I don't want to talk about it with you right now," I say.

"I am sorry," he says quietly, his eyes sad.

"I know," I mumble.

"Here, Mia, you can sit down here," James says, stepping away from the couch, and indicating to his now vacant spot beside my brother.

"I was going to bring her up to the dormitory," Rose explains to him.

James' face falls slightly at this news, which I notice.

"We can sit down here for a little while," I say to her, shrugging my shoulders. "James, you can keep your seat, but thanks." I sit myself down on the ground, in front of the cackling fire. I don't want to sit beside Alex. Not right now. I still feel betrayed by him.

"Hey, James, go get your sweet stash," Rose demands, sitting down next to me, as Dani and Eleanor take the empty chairs on either side of the couch.

"_Secret _sweet stash," James scolds her, getting up from his seat once again. This causes us all to chuckle, and the tension that had been there when I walked into the common room vanishes in the blink of an eye.

Minutes later, James comes down with a bag of sweets, and pours it onto the coffee table.

"What, did you spend all your money on sweets yesterday?" Eleanor asks, eyes wide as she looks at the sweet pile before her.

"Yeah, yesterday," James says, catching my eye and grinning. I duck my head, smiling, remembering our adventure to Hosgmeade through the secret tunnel.

I bring my knees up to my chest, and stare around at my friends. I'm glad to have them here with me, but inside I feel deeply alone.

When does it stop hurting inside?

* * *

**yoo I didn't expect many people to actually _want _an update on this- I am in shock! Thanks, as always for the reviews, and thanks for being patient with me.**

**ALSO! So, I begin work on the 25th of January, but it's a good distance from where I live, so I'll be moving out in the next few weeks! I finally get to move away from home! It's making my life right now, but I'm also so nervous! I've never lived away from home! D:**

**I don't want Mia to be immediately okay again. What happened her is pretty ... _yeah_. Not a nice situation to be in, tbh! D: **

**SSOooooooooo anyway... replies are happening again! **

**Replies:**

* * *

**Lifeismorethanaprettyface: I AM ALIVE! Well, the breakup happened, ofc. And her relationship with Alex is gonna be pretty rocky for the next few chapters. Aha, I'm glad you're still reading this!**

**Cara Lavender: Aha, thank you so much! Everyone is in shock I updated :L**

**dillon224dewey: Well, I appreciate the review greatly! Thank you :D**

**Oh my hod: Don't apologise! Caps locks are great imo! **

**Guest: IKR? About time she figured it out for herself, tbh :P **

**Alice Monita: Aha don't be sorry to tell me that! I do tend to make things obvious! However a lot of other people didn't see it coming, so it's all good :P Updating more frequently will be doable for the next few weeks, but I begin work on the 25th of January so it's not possible after that if I'm not finished by then! Thanks for the review! **

**lalala321: thank you! :) **


	21. Chapter 21

Somehow into the night, it ends up being just James and I alone. I lost track of time some while ago, but I assume it's roughly one in the morning. No one else remains in the Common room, and the fire is slowly dying out. The ember gives a dull glow, the room quite dim. James and I both sit on the couch facing one another, our legs tucked up, our toes pushing up against each other.

"So, how are you really feeling?" James asks quietly, staring at me softly.

I bite my lip, contemplating my answer. In one hand, it aches so much it feels like my heart has been ripped out- I did love Jason, even if I do feel something for James. There's no denying that, other wise it wouldn't hurt so much. The ache in my chest hasn't left since Alex told me what he did. On the other hand, part of me does feel somewhat okay. As odd as it sounds.

"I've been better," I decide, which is completely true.

James frowns at me, his eyes still somehow managing to sparkle, even in the dimness of the room. I wonder does he know how nice his eyes are, but I quickly realise the stupidness of the question- of course James knows how nice his eyes are. He does think that he's the best looking guy in the school. Which, even if that _is _true, is very arrogant of him to think.

Still, there's something appealing about James' confidence. Maybe that's why so many girls are attracted to him besides his obvious good looks. As for me, although of course I find James attractive, it's his personality - his _true _personality - that made me fall for him.

I find that I'm staring at him, and I quickly look away feeling my cheeks grow warm.

"I'm really sorry about what happened," James says, his frown deepening. "I know how happy Jason made you."

I glance at him again. "He's not the only reason for my happiness," I reply. "Actually, the last few months have been great thanks to you," I continue on. "I want to say thank you for being a good friend this year."

He smiles, and I find myself smiling in return at him. "I care about you a lot," James tells me, looking intently at me. "I know in the past it might not have seemed that way, but I do."

"Actually, on that matter," I say, "why were you always picking on me? You were kind of a jerk." He shakes his head, looking away from me, seemingly embarrassed. "You used to be nice to me- and then you told the whole school about my crush on Fred." I say it with a slight hint of bitterness, because part of me still feels hurt he had done that to me.

He grimaces, as though hating the memory as much as I do. He rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks turning darker. "You're either going to laugh at me, or hate me completely if I tell you," he mumbles, looking shamefully towards me.

I narrow my eyes in curiosity. "Well, now I'm intrigued."

He lets out a sigh, looking away from me once again. "I had a crush on you, and I felt jealous... and I acted stupidly and became a complete ass to you. I don't know- I guess I decided somehow that if I pretended to hate you, I'd get over it."

"Did it work?" I ask before I can stop myself.

He stares at me, and I feel like time has stopped.

The sound of footsteps causes us to both turn and face the stairs. Someone I don't recognize, probably a first year, walks into the Common Room. Sleepily they grab a cup of water for themselves, before heading back up to the dormitories.

Whatever moment James and I just shared is gone. I place my feet onto the ground, sitting on the edge of the couch. "I should probably get back to the Ravenclaw tower," I say, avoiding James' gaze.

"It's quite late," James points out. "Would it not be easier to stay here for the night? You can stay up in my bed- the guys won't mind."

I look at the dying light of the fire, considering his suggestion, but in the end I shake my head. "Thanks for the offer, James, but it's a school night, and I should probably just get back to my own room." I push myself off of the couch, and James follows my actions.

We stand looking at one another, before James pulls me into a hug. I let out a breath, resting my forehead against his chest. I wrap my hands tightly around his middle, not wanting to let go. He doesn't appear to be eager to let me go either, as we stand there- although we stand like that for awhile, it doesn't feel like long enough when we do eventually pull away from the hug.

After the hug, I sneak back to the Ravenclaw tower, the warm bed welcoming me. I fall asleep, remembering the way James' arms felt around me, and remembering for just a moment, my heart didn't feel broken.

* * *

The next morning, and the morning following that aren't easier. In fact, as the month finishes, and we enter our last few days of the semester, I find myself feeling down more and more. Although I have the wedding to look forward to, and my first few days of the Christmas break to spend with the Potter's, I find the ache in my chest not subsiding.

Even now, as I sit in the library, pouring over my potions book, I find my mind elsewhere.

I haven't talked to Alex much since the night in the Gryffindor common room. I don't sit with them anymore at the Gryffindor table, and I find it just as difficult to sit at the Ravenclaw table. The feeling of being trapped hits me hard once more, and I close my book.

The girls have sat with me at the Ravenclaw table most days, and James has sat with me the others. I'm grateful to have them all in my life, but I just want everything to go back to the way it was.

Training is proving to be difficult. I'm constantly bickering with Jason, and we can never agree on anything anymore. I realise my chances of being captain next year have probably vanished. That irks me even more, and in one training session Jack has to remind me that Jason has always been fair no matter what. Although he's right, I still sense my chances are gone.

I rub my head, feeling a headache coming on.

"Oi, you," I hear someone say, tapping me on the shoulder and breaking me from my thoughts. I spin around on my chair, and see Rose and James standing there. Both of them grin at me, and I stare in confusion at them both.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Just follow us and don't ask questions," Rose says, grabbing my hand and pulling me from my seat. James grabs my bag, and follows Rose, who still holds my hand. When out of the library, she begins to run down the hall, forcing me to run behind her. "What are we doing?" I pant, watching the blurred faces turn to watch us.

"No running in the hall!" I hear someone cry after us, but neither James or Rose take heed, and I don't either.

"We're going to the Ravenclaw tower," she informs me, which doesn't exactly answer my question.

I don't question her any further, as they drag me up stairs, through halls, up more stairs, (paintings yell at us to slow down- as do a few prefects- but we don't listen) until finally we reach the Ravenclaw tower. Once I answer the riddle and gain us entry into the room, Rose pushes me onto the couch in the Common Room, which is somewhat empty. The usual stacks of books piled around the room have vanished as people begin to pack for the holidays.

In fact, the usual busy atmosphere in the Ravenclaw Common Room is now replaced with the relaxed atmosphere which I'm usually greeted with in the Gryffindor Common Room. People lounge around the room, talking to their friends, rather than piling over their work- which, despite what others may think, is not always _school_ work. We do have lives outside of studying.

"I don't think I've ever been in here before," James comments, looking up at the constellations on the ceiling. "It's actually nice in here- not as nice as the Gryffindor Common Room, of course, but still..."

"Are you two going to explain what we're doing?" I exclaim, catching my breath from all the running they just had me do.

"Put this on," someone says, throwing something at me. I catch the object, which turns out to be my jacket, and my scarf. I look up at Eleanor, who has on her own jacket and scarf. Glowering at them and their lack of information, I do as I'm told.

"Now what?" I question them, staring between them warily.

"Now, we go on an adventure," Eleanor says, grinning broadly.

This time James grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet off of the couch. Unlike Rose, he doesn't remain holding my hand, but allows me to follow them at my own pace (which is quite a quick pace as they don't seem to want to slow down at all). We exit the Ravenclaw Common Room, and venture down to the Clock Tower. I glance cautiously out through the clocks pane, and watch the snow dance outside. I can barely see the Covered Bridge through the downfall of snow.

People pass us, their robes soaked from being outside, and they chatter excitedly about something, and I feel a tug in my stomach. _Jealousy_. Of what? I suppose it's because I haven't felt any sort of excitement in awhile.

The three make me follow them down the stairs of the Clock Tower, until we face the outside, which is covered in a thick blanket of snow.

Fred, Dani, and Alex are outside, smiling widely at us. I quirk a brow up, feeling more confused than ever. Fred has a camera wrapped around his neck, which only deepens my confusion.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"We want to make memories," Fred tells me, lifting up his camera, and pointing it in our direction. The other three huddle in, standing in the most ridiculous poses, while I stare at the camera baffled, until a bright light blinds me, and I blink, surprised.

"It's our final year," James explains, seeing the confusion on my face. He sounds almost sad saying this. "I want to remember and capture the time I spent with my friends."

I edge out into the snow, lifting my face to the sky, watching the snow swirl around me. _It's our final year_. It only hits me now- I might not see them much after they leave. I smile, looking at them as they watch me.

I stretch out my hand for the camera, which Fred hands over.

"Go on- I want to take a picture of you all," I tell them, waving them them over to stand out in the courtyard. The other three, smiling, rush out to join Fred, Dani, and Alex. They all huddle close together, smiling in my direction. I can't help but smile as I click down the button, a bright flash appearing as the picture is taken.

Just as I finish taking the picture is done, James bends down, grabbing a handful of snow, and shoving it into Rose's face. "James you-" I click the button again, capturing the moment. Rose's comment is drowned out by the laughter of the others as Rose grabs snow and begins throwing it at James- before she has a chance, Dani is stuffing snow down her back, causing her to squeal.

I laugh, as a full fledged snowball fight initiates between my friends.

"Oi, what are you laughing at?" Rose asks me, throwing a snowball in my direction- I duck, and it flies over my head, hitting Eleanor, who lets out a yelp in surprise at the impact.

I feel a pair of arms wrap around me, and I stifle a surprised scream.

"I've got her- get her Rose," James demands, holding me so I can't move. I wiggle in his grip, laughing. I close my eyes as Rose shoves snow into my face like James had done to her.

"Agh!" I yell, as James lets go of me. I wipe the freezing snow from my face, my cheeks burning from the coldness.

Placing the cord of the camera around my neck, I bend down, shoveling snow into my hands, creating a ball. I chuck it in the direction of my group of friends, managing to hit Dani in the back of the head. An odd sound of surprise emits from her mouth, and the fight continues.

Somehow, each of us ends up with the camera. We click the button at random times, capturing moments.

It's then I realise how important friendship is to me. I don't want this year to end- I want to stay trapped in this moment forever, surrounded by those I love, and those who love me. It makes me feel warm inside, despite the freezing temperature.

I sit beside James in the snow, after completing our second set of snow angels, our fingers brushing off one another. My fingers tingle where he touches them, and part of me longs for him to hold my hand rather than this teasing. I force the thoughts to the side, however. Part of me still aches over Jason, although it's not as painful as it had been last month.

_A month!_

The realization hits me like a ton of bricks. It's been over a month since I discovered the secret that Jason had been hiding from me- a secret I didn't even know he had been hiding.

Alex and I have been quite distant up until today. It almost felt like nothing had changed between us, but in the silence I remember. I close my eyes, pushing the fresh wave of pain away from me. How can part of me still hurt over this?

I feel James' hand rest on top of mine, and my eyes snap open.

"Are you alright?" he asks, searching my eyes.

"Just wishing this day would never end," I say, which is partly true.

"Well, we have the pictures to remember it-"

A bright flash startles us, and we turn our heads towards the source, James pulling his hand quickly away from mine. Rose stands before us, the camera in her hands and a huge smile across her face.

"That'll be a cute one." She gives a wink at us, and both our faces turn pink.

"Shove off, you git," James says, throwing some snow in her direction. She dances out of the way, sticking her tongue at him. She heads back to the others who sit only a few feet away from us.

James runs his fingers through his hair, looking embarrassed. He shakes his head at Rose's comment, giving me a small smile. "Have you gotten a dress for the wedding yet?" he changes the subject, clearly not comfortable with Rose's actions.

"No, but the _git_ is taking me shopping the day after we arrive back home," I tell him with a grin, rubbing my hands together for some heat.

"Another day to make more memories," he sighs, falling back onto the snow, his eyes watching the sky now that the snow has stopped falling.

I gaze at him for a moment, feeling my chest ache for a whole new reason.

* * *

**HEYA SO I REPLIED TO ALL THE REVIEWS BUT MY COMPUTER DECIDED TO BE STUPID AND OF COURSE IT DIDN'T SAVE SO NO REPLIES FOR THIS CHAPTER! SORRY ABOUT THAT!**

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	22. Chapter 22

The few days before the wedding goes by quickly, and I find there's never a dull moment in the Potter household. The day after we arrive, Rose takes me out shopping for clothes, and finds me the perfect dress for the wedding. Mrs Weasley (or, Granny Weasley) comes by everyday and has chores for each of us to do. I don't mind the work, as I had made a silent promise to myself to help out as much as I can. Work for me mostly involved sweeping, setting up the place, and then helping to decorate.

The wedding itself is being held under a massive awning, put up by the males. Ginny brings all the girls over to help decorate inside the night before the actual wedding- the tables are decorated with creme silk, and lush red roses for the center pieces. Rose petals decorate the dance floor, which is in the center of the room, before the stage where the hired band will be playing.

I find, by eight that evening, my back is aching from all the running around- I don't complain, though, as tomorrow will be a great day.

I throw myself onto James' bed, not caring that he's already lying down. He lets out a groan into his pillow, as I land roughly on his right. I sigh, rolling over, so I'm no longer squashing his right side.

"I've never been this exhausted," he mumbles, barely coherent as his face is squashed into his pillow. "Do you think if we didn't show up to the wedding, people would notice?" He turns over on his side, so that he can look at me.

I stare up at the ceiling, feeling once again flustered because of how close he is to me. The last few nights have been weird. I've never slept in the same bed as a guy- and I never would have thought I'd ever share a bed with James Potter. However, I find due to this, my feelings for James have become a lot clearer.

It also makes me think of Jason a lot more.

"I think people might notice if one of the groomsmen doesn't turn up," I say, which causes him to laugh softly. I smile, happy that I made him laugh. There's something enduring about James' laugh. It always sounds so lighthearted and genuine. It causes my stomach to erupt with butterflies.

"You're probably right," he agrees, lying back down, and staring up at the ceiling with me. "Did you ever imagine that things would turn out this way?" he asks after a brief silence, in which the only sounds that could be heard was the others downstairs doing last minute stuff for the wedding.

"What way?"

"Well, you and I being friends, firstly," he says, grinning. "Also, Fred and Alex - everything that happened so far this year. I don't think I ever imagined this is how my last year would go."

I think about it for a moment, contemplating the last few months. After looking back on it - James and I becoming friends; detention; Alex and Fred; dating someone for the first time; having my first real heartbreak - it seems like so much has happened. "No," I agree. "I don't think I ever imagined any of this happening." I glance over at him, a soft smile playing on my lips. "I wouldn't change a single thing, though."

Our eyes meet. I have to resist the urge to look away, as my stomach twists - _damn anxiety. _However, as usual, I'm captivated by his warm brown eyes. There really is so much more to James than I ever realized before. Maybe I'm the one who had my head up my arse. James is still cocky, he's still the same. Except, I finally gave him a chance. I stopped giving him the cold shoulder- and he showed me there's more to him than what I had deemed him to be.

I want to apologize, but the words can't escape my mouth. I want to say sorry for being arrogant, and never giving him a chance before. If I could change one thing, it would be how I treated him up until recently - sure, on occasions he teased me, but that's just _James_. He makes jokes, and he makes people laugh, and _sure _he did one thing that really hurt me, and I was a snob to him for the next few years because of that.

Yet, despite that, whenever I got injured in quidditch, he would come visit me in the hospital- he'd even bring me chocolate frogs.

I feel like the biggest jerk suddenly.

I thought he was a jerk for so long, yet I was no better to him.

"Mia-" James begins, before he's cut off due to a knocking at the door. Whatever James is about to say is forgotten, as he scrambles off of the bed to open his bedroom door. I sit up, my back pressed to the headboard.

"Is Mia there-?" Rose doesn't even allow James time to answer, as she's already barging into James' room, and plopping herself down next to me on the bed. "Okay, good. So, you are to be up bright and early," she tells me, ignoring James' scowl at her. "I'm doing your makeup tomorrow for the wedding. That will be done at roughly half ten-ish. I have to do mine _and _Roxanne's as well." She lets out a sigh. "The wedding begins at one, so you'll have plenty of time to do your hair, and get dressed." She observes me, as though already imagining what she'll do with my face tomorrow.

"_Sure _Rose, you can come in to my room. It's no problem at all," James mumbles, sitting down on the end of the bed.

"Thanks, Cous," she replies, giving him a wide smile. "It's not like I was interrupting something; was I?" She raises an eyebrow.

"No-"

"You were-"

"She was?"

"I was?"

We both stare at James, whose cheeks have reddened slightly. He stands up, brushing his hands through his hair, ruffling it up in the process. "I'm going downstairs," he grumbles, leaving the bedroom.

I stare after him, my mind reeling. _You were_. What did James think Rose was interrupting? In my mind, it was just a conversation- yet, his cheeks had gone pink. Had it been more than that? Had I not noticed something while I was stuck in my own thoughts?

"Holy _crap_, Mia!" Rose exclaims, grabbing my hands. "Was I interrupting something? What happened?" Her eyes are wide with excitement, but I stare at her in bewilderment.

"Nothing happened," I reply, frowning.

Rose looks disappointed at this, pouting slightly. She shakes her head, her pout replaced with a smile. "I'm so excited for tomorrow!"

"Me too," I tell her, smiling. As I've mentioned before: I _love _weddings.

* * *

The day of the wedding finally arrives, and I find no one has a moments rest. Victorie and Teddy are shoved around, getting prepared for their wedding; Harry has Albus and Lily get ready early so that they can greet guests as they arrive.

Rose shoves James out of his room, forcing him to get ready in Albus's room, because "girls need more room", as she states.

Roxanne and I sit patiently as Rose does our makeup. When she finishes with me, I begin to change into my dress. The dress is a wine colored skater plunge dress, that ends just before my knees. It's simple, yet I love the dress. It fits me perfectly, and I actually look nice when I have it on. I look at myself in the mirror, my hands smoothing the front of my dress.

"I think you should bring your hair to the side," Roxanne tells me, as Rose scolds her for moving. When Rose is done scolding Roxanne, she turns around to look at me, and she smiles.

"You look absolutely amazing," she says, placing her hand over her heart.

It takes another while before Roxanne and Rose are finished, and by twelve, the three of us are satisfied with ourselves. I feel my heart begin to race as we exit the room. I realize this is the first time I've ever been dressed up in front of _anyone_. I find my mind racing, wondering what James will think. I know it doesn't _really_ matter what James thinks, but I hope he thinks I look nice.

I take the railing of the stairs, more nervous than ever. _Today isn't about you- no one will notice you_. I have to remind myself that the focus is going to be on the bride and groom, and _not _on me. However, I still find myself feeling nervous. What if I don't look as decent as I thought I did? What if I look stupid?

That thought is completely ridiculous- Rose did my makeup, after all. She's great at doing makeup.

I hear laughing from the kitchen. I recognize my brothers laugh immediately. Which means that Fred, Alex and James are all out in the kitchen. Rose links her arm through mine, probably sensing my nervousness.

"You really do look beautiful," she says quietly, giving me a light nudge.

I give her a small smile, before she takes Roxanne and I into the kitchen. Roxanne doesn't stay around, and heads out to find Lily, and her other cousins (too many of them to remember, if I'm being honest).

"Hello, boys," she says, announcing our arrival. "The three beauties are here, finally."

I linger a little behind Rose, feeling self-conscious. I expect a remark from one of the three guys, but none of them say anything. I force myself to finally look at James, and I find he's already looking at me. My cheeks feel warm. Of course he looks even more attractive in a suit. I silently curse my feelings for him.

"Oh, don't you all just look wonderful!" Ginny exclaims, startling us. "Come on, let's get some pictures."

"Oh!" Rose grabs my hand. "Take one of Mia and me."

Rose drags the two of us away from the boys, over to an empty area in the kitchen. She links her arm through mine, and stares at Ginny who holds up the camera. I smile at it, feeling somewhat embarrassed. A bright flash blinds me momentarily, but I feel my nerves beginning to fade away.

Ginny calls the guys over, and makes them stand around us to get more pictures. James stands by me, brushing against me. A shiver goes down my spine at the contact. I look back to the camera, smiling once again. Again, there's a bright flash, and James takes the split second after to talk to me.

"You look beautiful," he whispers, so that no one else but me can hear. I blush, my heart skipping a beat.

Before I can reply, Ginny says: "Okay, now a picture of James and Mia."

The others walk away, standing behind Ginny, gawking at us. Again, I feel embarrassed. My cheeks grow hotter as James throws his arm around me. I feel like he's enjoying making me embarrassed- it wouldn't at all surprise me, actually. Once again, I'm smiling as the camera flashes, blinding me momentarily yet again.

"Fred, Alex, you two next."

James and I join Rose, watching as the two guys stand together for a picture. I grin, happy that Fred's family is so casual about Fred and Alex being together. Alex had been right all those weeks ago- you can't tell how people will react. A moment later, Ginny has James joining them for a photo.

"I love being a massive third wheel," James jokes, throwing his arms around his two friends.

"How do you think I feel?" Rose says, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "I'm going to be third wheeling you all at some stage today- Merlin, I'm even doing it _now_!"

"You could have brought a date," Ginny reminds her, taking the picture of the boys.

"Now, where's the fun in that? I don't need a date to have a good time- I just _hate _being a third wheel."

"Then do us a solid, cous, and stop complaining," James says, flicking her nose as he stands beside me.

"Okay, enough chat," Ginny says, ushering us out the back door. "Go take your places before it's completely full."

I'm glad for the carpet they lay down beneath the narrow awning that stretches between the awning where the wedding is being held, and the house. Snow blankets the floor outside its boarders, and I'm thankful for the small fire balls hovering along the hallway. If it weren't for them, I'd be frozen right now. However, as I stare out at the fluffy snowflakes falling to the ground, a chill runs down my spine.

"Here, you lot sit there," James says, gently placing a hand onto my back, and guiding me into a row of seats, right in the middle of the room. "I've to go do whatever best men do," he explains, allowing the others to pass him. Rose sits down next to me, looking around at the slowly crowding room. "I'll see you all after the ceremony," James adds, before darting off to find Teddy.

"Weddings are really romantic," Rose sighs, staring up at the alter. "Do you want to get married when you're older?" she asks me.

I shrug. "I think I'd like to get my life together more than anything," I say. "However, I do love the idea of starting a family. I've never really thought about being married before, if I'm being honest."

She grabs my arm, looking overly excited. "I can't wait to get married! I want to have a massive wedding, with the whole family there, and my friends. I hope you and I remain friends," she adds as an afterthought. "I'd like you to be at my wedding."

"Well, if I get married, you're definitely invited," I assure her, grinning.

"Mia," she says, and surprised by her suddenly serious tone, I turn my head to look at her, "do you ever think about who you'll be with in the future?"

"Not really," I admit. "I feel like it's not something I should be thinking about right now. Why?"

She sighs, looking down at her hands which are folded in her lap. "I feel like-"

"Rose, my darling!" Rose is cut off by an older woman, who leans over me to kiss Rose on the cheek. Rose takes a few seconds to respond to the woman, looking surprised by her sudden intervention.

"Oh, hey Audrey," Rose says, looking disappointed. "Are Molly and Lucy here?"

"We're seated over there," Audrey says, pointing to the opposite side of the room. I spot Rose's twin cousins, who are chatting with Lily and Roxanne. "I haven't seen you in so long! You look absolutely gorgeous!" Audrey looks at me, and places out her hand for me to shake. I take her hand, feeling as though the woman is judging me, her eyes scanning me completely. "I'm Audrey Weasley, Rose's aunt."

"Lovely to meet you," I say. "I'm Mia Johnson."

"Did you attend Beauxbaton Academy?" she asks. "You don't _sound _French, but you do look like you could belong with _those_ girls."

"I don't under-" Rose gives me a warning look, which causes me to falter mid sentence. "Um, no. I go to Hogwarts," I decide, giving Rose a questioning glance.

"She's here as James' date," Rose explains to her aunt, giving her a somewhat cold look. I gather that Rose isn't too fond of this particular aunt, but I decide now isn't exactly the time to question that.

"Oh." She gives me a disapproving look. "Another girlfriend, is it?"

I narrow my eyes, my patience wearing out. Audrey glances at her watch, before I get a chance to tell her off. I feel a bit angry at Audrey, and the way she looked at me when she discovered I was James' date. _Another girlfriend, is it? _How rude!

"I better go back to my seat," she says. She glances at me. "Nice to meet you, Mia."

Through gritted teeth, I hear myself say: "and you too", but deep down I want to slap the woman.

When she's a good distance away, Rose leans back into her seat, scowling. "I _hate _that woman. She is the most arrogant, stuck up snob to ever grace us," she grumbles, pursing her lips. "Her daughters are just as bad- they all act as though the world owes them just for existing. I don't know how Percy deals with them all. He's at least bearable."

By now, the room is completely full with people, and no one can hear Rose cursing her aunt.

"What were you saying before Audrey came over?" I ask, deciding to change the subject, before Rose decides to storm over and give Audrey a piece of her mind. Although, if she did, I can't say I'd stop her.

"Oh, I-"

Music begins, and the crowd stands up together as the wedding finally commences.

* * *

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	23. Chapter 23

When Teddy and Victoire's wedding ends, we watch as the newly weds make their way over to the tables where our dinners would be served. I look for my mother in the crowd, and for a moment I spot her, talking to some red haired man, who I know full well is another Weasley. I'm not sure which Weasley she's talking to, but she looks preoccupied, so I don't go over to interrupt their conversation.

Instead, I find myself following Rose to a table where James already sits. Albus sits along next to him, so I sit on the other side.

The meals go by quickly, and as a group, we quite enjoy ourselves. Even James and Albus, who always find something to bicker about, have a good time together. Finally, after many photos, and speeches, it is announced that the bride and groom will have their first dance.

I stand up, and the room sways slightly.

For the last few hours, firewhiskey has been constantly shoved into my hand. Even my mother came over at one stage during the meal and got another glass for me. It was only by dessert that I realized how much I had been drinking.

I watch as Teddy leads Victoire out onto the empty dance floor, her beautiful dress trailing behind her. She looks like she's a princess. I can't tear my eyes away from them, as the music begins, and the newly weds begin their first dance as a married couple. The two of them look at one another, smiles plastered on their faces. I've never seen two people look at one another with such love before- it makes me feel happy for them.

I watch as Harry brings Ginny out onto the dance floor, followed by others shortly after.

I feel a nudge at my side, and I see James standing there, grinning at me. "May I have this dance?" he asks, holding out his hand for me to take.

I feel my cheeks redden, and my heart begins to race a little. Slow dancing- with James! The only time I had ever danced with James was at the Gryffindor party all those weeks ago, and the music had been fast and upbeat, and it was fun. Slow dancing isn't something I've ever done before.

However, my hand slides into his, and I look to Rose in alarm, who's also grinning at me. James guides me onto the dance floor, and brings me close to him. I know full well my hand is undoubtedly sweaty and gross, but he doesn't seem to care. He places his hands on my waist, and I drop my hands onto his shoulders, not knowing exactly what to do, but copying others I see.

I'm not entirely sure where to look, and I find myself avoiding his eyes. I glance over his shoulder, and see Fred and Alex are also dancing; my mother is dancing with the red haired man she had been speaking to earlier. A soft smile comes to my lips.

"You having fun?" James asks, as we sway gently to the music.

Everything looks a little disorientated, and even as I glance up at James, I find it hard to focus on him. "Yes," I reply. "Although, I think I've had too much to drink."

"You're fine, don't worry," he tells me, smiling. "Definitely not quite at the state you were in at the Gryffindor party."

He chuckles as I pull a sour expression, hating the memory. "It was my first time drinking!" I say defensively.

"You were fun," he reassures me.

My face falls a little, and I look away from him again. You were fun. Is that to mean he doesn't think I'm fun any other time? I know I'm pouting slightly, so I try to change my expression slightly. "Was I... better? When I was drunk?" I ask quietly, hoping the answer isn't a yes. "I know I'm not like Alex. I don't like breaking rules; I don't have as much fun as him."

James looks at me a little surprised. "I like you all the time, Mia, not just when you're drunk," James says. "You don't have to be like Alex- I enjoy you the way you are. When you're drunk, you don't seem to care as much, which is nice. You're not worrying about stuff, and you let loose. It doesn't mean I like you better when you're drunk."

I tilt my head slightly, processing his words. "You like when I don't... care?"

He laughs a little. "What I mean is, when you're not stressing about school work, or other problems. It's nice that you can forget about it for awhile," he explains.

We dance for a little while longer until the song is over, and then I go find Rose and have another drink. By the time I finish my ... fourth... fifth... drink, I find that I'm a bit tipsy.

I look around the room and notice many professors from Hogwarts at the wedding: Professor Longbottom, who is slow dancing with his wife; professor McGonagal; Hagrid (who is certainly not that hard to miss); and many others. I notice many people who I've seen featured in magazines, and who I recognise from history books explaining the Battle of Hogwarts when Voldemort had been in power. Even now the name Voldemort sends a chill down my spine. How lucky I am to not live in a world with a man like him in control.

I sip at my firewhiskey, barely hearing Rose's conversation with another cousin of hers. Or is it a family friend? I glance over, and realise it's one of Victoire's sisters.

The room buzzes, the music ringing in my ears. A lively tune. The room is spinning now, and I find it hard to concentrate.

A figure appears before me, and it takes me a few seconds to realise it's James.

"Are you okay?" he asks, drowning in concern.

I make a face. "I think I've drank way too much," I mumble, and I hear it come out slurred.

"Alright, let's get you some fresh air," he says, placing an arm gently around me, and guiding me out of the crowded awning. He guides me through the house, and brings me out the front where no one else is. He sits me down on an old bench, a faded white colour, and sits down next to me. He shrugs off his suit jacket and places it around me, protecting me somewhat from the bitter cold.

"Your aunt is very rude," I say, not sure why I feel the need to tell James this. I feel as though I suddenly have no filter. Nor do I care much.

"Which aunt?" he asks, raising an eyebrow, but looking somewhat amused.

I wave my hand about, trying to remember her name. "Audrey," I say when it finally comes to me. "She didn't look happy about me being your date. Something about me being yet another girlfriend or whatever she had said. Anyway, she was rude. I didn't like it."

James gives a little chuckle, shaking his head. "She's never liked me," he replies, shrugging. "She thinks I'm a troublemaker. Or an attention seeker. Maybe she thinks I'm both. I can't resist being in the spotlight, and love being on the cover of any magazine." He sounds a bit bitter as he says this. "And ignore her. I've never had a girlfriend," James admits. "Any girl I'm seen with is somehow my girlfriend according to news reports. It's like the press has nothing better to discuss."

"James, they're just thinking of your fans who love all this gossip," I joke, nudging him with my shoulder gently.

He doesn't reply to this. "How're you feeling?"

"Feeling dizzy but also tired," I say. I pick up his arm and look at his watch. The clock reads 1:07.

"Want me to bring you up to bed?" he asks me.

I think about it for a moment before nodding my head, eager to be in from the cold. Although, I quite enjoy having James jacket wrapped over my shoulders.

James guides me back into the house, keeping me steady. He helps me up the stairs, and into his room. He closes the door behind him, and looks out his window, down to the party below. I take my shoes off, glad to be out of them. Once again, James is much more taller than me, and I almost miss the height the shoes gave me.

I realise something, and although normally it would make my face burn red, I don't seem to care right now.

"James..." I begin, not sure how to ask this. He wheels around, and with the courage the drink gives me, I ask my question. "Could you help me get out of my dress? I can't reach the zipper."

I have to suppress a grin as James' face turns pink. "Oh, um... Yeah, sure," he stumbles out, before walking over to me.

I turn, brushing my hair back over my shoulder. James hands brush my back and I shiver because of how cold they feel. He unzips my dress, and I turn around to face him. We're both frozen there for a second. I search his eyes, waiting for ... Something. Anything. The room is still spinning madly, so I know I'm still drunk. Maybe that's why I do it.

Instead of just waiting - because what will waiting do? - I press my lips to his.

His lips are soft, and gentle, and almost unsure (which surprises me). I bring my body closer to him, wanting this more than I thought I did. I feel more drunk. My mind is all over the place - his hands bring me closer, and then -

He pushes me gently away from him, keeping me at a distance from him.

"You're drunk," he says quietly.

I open my mouth to argue, but it is true that I'm drunk. "And?" I say instead, pouting. "I want to do this sober-"

"I can't ... I mean ... You're drunk," he repeats. "People do things when they're drunk. Things they regret." He looks away from me, his eyes focusing on the ground.

I step closer to him. I place a hand on his cheek, and he looks at me, his eyes sad. "James, don't be an idiot," I say, before kissing him once again.

At first, he doesn't seem to respond. Then, I find that he seems to take control of the situation himself. He brings me close to him, this time not pushing me away seconds later. I feel myself more intoxicated by the kiss. It feels surreal- I never realised how much I wanted this.

My hands get lost in his hair- I never want the kiss to end. Although, perhaps getting him to unzip my dress beforehand wasn't the smartest idea. His hands press against my bare back, and I shiver from both the coldness of his fingers, and the feelings erupting inside of me.

The door of his room swings open, and we jump apart quickly.

Rose stumbles into the room, followed closely by Fred and Alex, who have their hands under her arms to support her.

Rose mumbles stuff, and then giggles.

"Merlins beard," I swear, looking as Fred and Alex gently sit Rose on to James' bed. "What did she have to drink?" I ask, feeling alarmed and suddenly sober. Rose had been fine from what I remember - however, I haven't been with her much throughout the night, and last I saw her, she had been talking to a cousin.

"She just drank too much," Fred informs me, frowning at his cousin, who suddenly throws herself back on to the bed. She begins laughing, covering her face with her hands, her cheeks as red as her hair.

"What did you say?" I ask gently, sitting down beside Rose on the bed.

She shrugs, laughing again. I look to the others, feeling concerned for my friend. Rose has a wild streak in her, which no one can deny, but her being over drunk feels a bit much for all of us.

"You and Rose can have my bedroom tonight," James says to me, and I look at him for the first time since we pulled away from one another. His eyes don't exactly meet mine, and I feel my stomach twist.

Maybe James was right. Maybe I shouldn't have kissed him. But, merlin, everything about it felt so right. My lips still tingle with the taste of him. I feel a breath escape my lips as I think of his lips against mine. I find myself biting my lip, wanting more than anything to relive the moment. I find myself staring at him, wondering what happens now. With Jason, we had been alone and he asked me out straight after our kiss.

"Why're y-youstar -ing at... At James, for?" Rose mumbles from the bed, grinning. She attempts to nudge me, but she can barely hold her arm up.

I look quickly away from James, feeling my cheeks burn. The drink is fading quickly from my system, and I'm feeling more alert again. I'm not sure what caused the sudden soberness: James and I kissing, or Rose being too drunk. I blame Rose for it. James' lips against mine had been more intoxicating than anything.

"You two ... Like one another, huh?" Rose continues.

"Alright, time for you to sleep," James says to his cousin, grabbing Fred and Alex, and guiding them towards the door. His cheeks are red, and I suppose mine must be too.

"Jamesie has been in love with you since, like, second- second year," Rose mumbles, laughing a little.

"Night, you traitor," James calls, quickly exiting the room, and closing the door behind him.

I find myself laughing lightly, but feeling extremely giddy. I find it hard to believe Rose's words, especially due to how drunk she is, but part of me wonders if it's true. James had said all those weeks ago that he used to have a crush on me- had he not gotten over it? Ever? Part of me can't believe that he could like me for so long. I'd believe that feelings come back, but not him liking me for this long.

I wonder why he never said anything.

"Rose, you're terrible at keeping secrets," I scold her, pulling her up into a sitting position.

"I am wonderful at keeping secrets!" she retaliates defensively, smiling widely. "I kept James' secret all these years- which wasn't easy these past few weeks because of how obvious it is you both like one another!"

"I never said I liked him," I say, laughing as she pokes my nose. I swat her hand away gently, and her smile widens. Although, of course I like James. Any idiot would know. And Rose is not an idiot by any means.

She shrugs her shoulders. "Oh, come off it!" she exclaims. "Y-you two... It's just obvious, okay? Even when ... When you were dating Jason it was obvious you liked James."

I purse my lips as she says Jason's name. I still resent him for dating my brother, cheating on him, and not telling me. It still hurts me to even think about.

"You two should just get together already," Rose sighs. "Stop being morons, and just admit you like one another."

I grin, eager to tell Rose what happened. However, I restrain myself. What if that kiss had meant nothing to James? Me rlin ... It's going to be a long night.

"Come on, let's get you changed out of your dress," I say, deciding that my news can wait until I know where I stand with James.

* * *

**Heya! Last week before I move away from home! So so excited and nervous and agh! I made a Wordpress to blog everything (simonek971). **

**Anyway, reviews are sported as always**!


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